Costs soaring for West Midlands Metro depot upgrade: it's key to unlocking trams to Digbeth, Bordesley and NEC

West Midlands Combined Authority bosses have agreed to increase the budget for the scheme at the Wednesbury depot by £7.65 million – bringing the total cost up to £76 million.

The upgrade of the facility is necessary as projects to increase Metro lines across the region continue at a pace.

Extending the depot will allow for extra stabling for the increased fleet, a new control room, extra workshop and engineering facilities and an improved training academy.

Current Metro works include the extension of services from Wednesbury to Brierley with phase one of the scheme expected to completed later this year and phase two launched in February.

Work also continues on the Birmingham Eastside Extension which will provide links to HS2 at Curzon Street and Digbeth.

This extension is seen as crucial to unlocking a new line from Digbeth to the ambitious Birmingham City FC £3 billion Sports Quarter plans in Bordesley as well as going on to serve North Solihull, the airport, NEC and surrounding Arden Cross regeneration zone.

Jo Shore, Director of Delivery, Transport for West Midlands, said: “The expansion of the depot is a crucial part of our plans to grow our Metro network providing extra stabling for a much larger tram fleet, increased workshop and engineering facilities, a new control room and an improved training academy to develop our talented staff.

“The depot improvement works, which include upgrades to power supplies and overhead cables, will future-proof the Metro ahead of further growth of the network, including the planned East Birmingham and Solihull extension and provide additional resilience to existing tram operations.

“We regularly review projects to add additional scope or reflect operational changes.

“The budget for these works reflects changes in specifications and scope in several areas to improve durability and lifespan as well as a review of wider project costs.”