Birmingham residents are divided over a long-mooted proposal for an underground rail system connecting the city centre with the wider metropolitan area. The Conservatives have pledged to conduct a feasibility study if they win control of the council in next week's local elections.
Our reporter visited the area near the Floozie in the Jacuzzi to gauge public opinion, and the responses were varied. One resident commented: 'I think it is quite difficult to get around Birmingham generally, so if it were an underground, that would be great - I suppose it would speed up getting in and out of the city.' Another said: 'I think a lot of good cities have undergrounds. Whether it is feasible is probably a separate question.' A third added: 'London is good with an underground, so yes, it would be a good idea. But probably too expensive.'
Tory group leader Robert Alden outlined the plan, telling the Local Democracy Reporting Service that over 230 cities worldwide have underground systems. 'Birmingham Local Conservatives are committed to holding a feasibility study to see how we can unlock Birmingham's full potential by affordably delivering one here,' he said. Alden pointed to improvements in tunnelling technology over the past 20 years and argued a part underground, part overground system could bring huge investment to the city. 'For 60 years, Westminster has favoured transport investment into London, we say its time to unleash Birmingham's economy,' he added.
However, the proposal faces significant hurdles given Birmingham's recent experience with delayed and over-budget projects like HS2 and the Camp Hill Line. Labour councillor David Barker acknowledged that Brummies need better transport but questioned whether the scheme is 'physically possible'. Not everyone welcomed the idea. One resident said: 'If we could only invest in one thing, we should invest better in the bus system because it is more versatile and goes to more places.' Another responded: 'No, it would cause chaos digging the streets up - I am not sure what it would really bring.' A third concluded: 'Birmingham's transport is so brilliant anyway - I think it would just cause disruption.'
