A MAJOR milestone has been reached as part of plans to bring the Metro to Dudley.

A significant concrete pour has taken place at the site of the former Staffordshire Railway corridor in Wednesbury – taking seven hours to complete.

In total more than 80 loads of concrete were used - 580m3 in total.

The work will enable construction to begin on the structure, which will eventually link the existing line to the newer branch from where trams will travel further through Sandwell to Dudley town centre.

It is the third major milestone to be reached for the project in 2023, with construction at the nearby Metro depot expansion and the re-opening of Castle Hill in Dudley to two-way traffic having taken place at the end of last month.

Bosses overseeing the project say the works signal that the main construction for the first phase of this route is progressing well.

The majority of the first 6.5km phase of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension sits within the area of the former South Staffordshire railway corridor which closed to rail traffic in 1993.

Midland Metro Alliance, working on behalf of Transport for West Midlands, began works to prepare the railway corridor in 2020 which involved clearing the corridor of more than a mile of existing track, which was donated to the Severn Valley Railway in 2021.

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Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Improving and expanding our public transport network is mission critical in order for our region to thrive in the months and years ahead.

“That’s why it’s good to see this scheme mark another key milestone. Once complete, the first phase of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension will offer people a quick and convenient travel option whether it’s for work or leisure in and around both Sandwell and Dudley. We must press ahead at pace so that local people can enjoy the benefits as soon as possible.”

Councillor Peter Hughes, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and growth, added: “The Metro will boost Sandwell’s sustainable public transport options, and I was very pleased to see another piece of this important route brought into being. It’s also great that others will get to see the progress, too.”

Footage of the expansive concrete pour has been released to showcase innovative techniques used to deliver the feat of engineering.

The concrete chosen was sourced with sustainability in mind as the mix includes Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag - which allows less traditional concrete to be used without a compromise on quality. In this instance 70 per cent less.

Grace Hayward, assistant delivery manager at Midland Metro Alliance, said: “There’s a lot of interest in our construction activity for this Metro route, and unlike activity taking place in Dudley, for example, much of the work here in Sandwell is not in the immediate view of the public. With this in mind we wanted to give those interested in the project a look at what we are delivering, including a bird’s eye view of the activity via drone footage.”

When phase one of the route opens to the public in late 2024, nine new stops will be added to the West Midlands Metro network - linking people in Dudley town centre to Birmingham and Wolverhampton.