The 11km extension will branch off the current West Midlands Metro line just east of the Wednesbury Great Western Street Metro stop, before heading through Tipton and Dudley on its way to Brierley Hill.
The extension will be delivered in two phases with the first to Dudley town centre expected to open for passenger services in 2024. The second phase will see the route further extended to Brierley Hill at the earliest opportunity.
There are plans for up to 14 trams stops along the route:
- Phase one will see up to nine new stops from Wednesbury to Flood Street
- Phase two will include the addition of five stops between Flood Street and Brierley Hill, with provision for one additional stop
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Investigations are taking place as to whether sections of the route can be operated using batteries rather than traditional overhead wires. An additional Metro depot will be needed to accommodate the extended fleet of trams that will run services on all of the planned extensions.
