Driving Economic Growth with the West Midland Metro Extension

FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE Wednesbury and Brierley Hill Route

SYSTRA was commissioned by Transport for the West Midlands (TfWM) and the Midland Metro Alliance to establish the feasibility of extending the Midland Metro network further into the Black County to serve Brierley Hill.

The proposed route is 11km long and will operate between Wednesbury and Brierley Hill through the Metropolitan Boroughs of Sandwell and Dudley and forms a significant part of the West Midlands Metropolitan Rail and Rapid Transit Network. In addition to the significant potential for integration with the bus and rail networks, the extension also links into local cycling and walking facilities.

SYSTRA was commissioned to develop a full major scheme business case that would justify the construction of the extension. The new metro line aims to support the delivery of economic benefits to one of the most important regeneration corridors in the West Midlands, passing through areas set to experience significant investment in the form of new housing, retail, leisure and employment.

The project will unlock jobs, education and skills opportunities in this key corridor and will provide wider city region connectivity for the people of Dudley and Sandwell Boroughs – transforming the ability to access opportunities across the wider West Midlands. The scheme is also a key element in the Levelling Up agenda both within the region and nationally by providing greater educational and employment opportunities for people in these deprived areas.

economic Appraisal to justify the extension

SYSTRA has supported TfWM (Transport for West Midlands) with the scheme since 2016, initially developing a DfT (Department for Transport) compliant major scheme business case that would justify the construction of the extension and subsequently providing a refresh of the business case in light of changes to scheme delivery. We also produced evidence on the economic case at the Transport and Works Act update enquiry in 2019, at which scheme land requirements through CPO were agreed.

SYSTRA has worked collaboratively with the client, and other consultancies, to deliver the modelling and appraisal work for the scheme using their significant experience in multi-modal modelling and scheme appraisal to provide advice to the client at all stages of the project.

Economic BENEFITS of the WEST MIDLANDS METRO EXTENSION

The Strategic Case for the extension was developed around the economic growth and regeneration of the Dudley and Brierley Hill areas and the expansion of employment and education opportunities for local residents through a mass transit connection to Birmingham City Centre and Wolverhampton.

The Economic Case was developed in line with Transport Analysis Guidance and HM Treasury Green Book, and was developed using model outputs from PRISM6. In addition to the standard transport, accident and environmental benefits that are generated by standard appraisal tools we developed the Economic Case to include a TAG Level 1, 2 and 3 appraisals including the following enhancements:

• Wider Impact Benefits – the scheme will improve accessibility between Sandwell and Dudley and the wider West Midlands area which generates welfare benefits and agglomeration benefits through improved access to the wider employment market for residents and access to a wider catchment of employees for local businesses.

• Land Value Uplift Benefits – the scheme will enable significant areas of underdeveloped land in the Sandwell, Dudley and Merry Hill areas to be developed for housing, employment and leisure schemes.

• Smarter Choices and Bus Network changes – Implementation of wider transport initiatives that promote the scheme to local residents and enhance the catchment and demand for the scheme; and

• Generated Trips – an assessment of the levels of new trips that are likely to be generated as a result of the improved connectivity making travel in the area more attractive

• Metro Revenue – outline annual revenue assessment of based on predicted patronage from the PRISM6 model and scheme operating costs

SYSTRA also reviewed the Management, Financial and Commercial Cases developed by TfWM to ensure consistency and narrative across the five Business Case dimensions.

scheme approved & SYSTRA recommissioned for phase 2

The major scheme business case was presented to the DfT in 2017 and funding for the scheme was granted later that year. An update of this business case was presented to the WMCA (West Midlands Combined Authority) for final approval of the local scheme financing and was finally approved in 2019. This funding has led to the construction of Phase 1 of the scheme, between Wednesbury and Dudley, which is due to open in 2025.

In 2023 SYSTRA was recommissioned to undertake a complete refresh of the 2019 business case focusing on the Phase 2 of the extension between Dudley and Merry Hill. The Business Case was approved in Autumn 2024 with funding secured to facilitate the build of the full route between Wednesbury and Merry Hill.

We also produced evidence on the economic case at the Transport and Works Act update enquiry in 2019, at which scheme land requirements through CPO were agreed. For this inquiry, we also prepared a detailed impact assessment of the scheme demand impacts for the Merry Hill shopping centre, built on data provided by the shopping centre operators, which showed an enhanced level of demand for this important local attraction than was previously identified through the transport modelling.

Featured images courtesy of Midlands Metro Alliance and West Midlands Metro.