Council chief welcomes plans for bus and tram interchange
11 Dec 2018
Dudley Council’s regen chief hails plans for a multi-million pound regeneration scheme as a “step in the right direction” in transforming transport links across the borough.
Outline plans and artist impressions for a new bus and tram interchange in Dudley town centre were released recently by Transport for West Midlands, part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
Expected to cost in the region of £18million, the interchange will serve buses and the West Midlands Metro trams when they are introduced as part of the Wednesbury to Dudley to Brierley Hill extension.
The interchange would act as the central hub for improving the borough’s connectivity with the wider region including creating a link from Dudley to the national rail network.
The project will be funded by a £10million cash injection from the WMCA and through a combination of funding from the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership and Dudley Council.
Subject to planning permission, the new Interchange could be completed by 2022 - ready for the scheduled opening of the West Midlands Metro extension.
Councillor Keiran Casey, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said:
"This is great news for Dudley. The town is already on an upward trend with so many exciting investment projects planned but this latest development really is a step in the right direction.
"The interchange is much more than a building; it will be the heart of the town’s transformation and will change how people travel to and from the borough, creating new opportunities for jobs and leisure.
This has been in the pipeline for a while now and I’m glad we’re finally at the point where we can see what it’s going to look like.”