Cost of Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension rockets to £650 million
The cost of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension has rocketed by 45 per cent to £650 million.
The troubled route was budgeted at £449m when it was approved in 2019, a figure which had ballooned to £550m by 2022 due to inflation and supply chain issues.
Now the Express & Star can reveal the projected final cost is likely to be £650m. The figure is revealed in private papers set to be discussed during Friday's West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) board meeting.
It comes after transport chiefs admitted they did not have enough cash to complete the line, meaning commuters could be asked to walk, cycle or bus the last leg from the Merry Hill Centre to Brierley Hill.
Work is already underway on the first phase of the 6.8-mile extension, which runs from the Great Western Street stop in Wednesbury to Dudley town centre.
