West Midlands Metro Dudley Extension Connection Work Begins This Month
Work to connect the new Dudley extension to the existing West Midlands Metro network will commence this month, marking a significant milestone in the expansion of the popular tramway system. Engineers will complete final 'tie-in' works during the school half-term holidays to join the new track to the current line.
Temporary Service Changes During Essential Works
To facilitate this essential engineering activity safely, temporary changes to some tram services will be implemented. Trams will continue operating every eight minutes between Wolverhampton Station and Wednesbury Great Western Street stops. However, there will be no onward services to Birmingham city centre and Edgbaston Village from approximately 21:00 on Monday 16 February until the end of service on Wednesday 18 February.
Minimising Disruption for Passengers
Ed Williams, Metro's Head of Engineering, explained: "Connecting the new extension to the existing line represents a significant milestone in preparing the route for opening later this year. We have carefully planned the timing of the tie-in to coincide with the school break to minimise disruption for our customers."
Alternative transport arrangements have been put in place:
- National Express buses in the area will accept Metro tickets and passes throughout the works
- The bus operator is running an enhanced timetable to provide connections with early and late trams between Wednesbury and Wolverhampton
Additional Infrastructure Upgrades
Prior to the main connection work, Metro will also carry out upgrades to infrastructure at Wolverhampton St George's stop, which will be closed from Saturday 7 February. "While these essential works are taking place, we're seizing the opportunity to conduct other necessary maintenance and renewal work across the network to prevent future disruption for customers," added Ed Williams.
The engineering team emphasised that decisions to temporarily reduce or suspend services are never taken lightly and only occur when absolutely necessary. Passengers have been thanked for their patience and understanding during this important phase of the Metro expansion project.
