I have welcomed the West Midlands Mayor’s commitment to link Stourbridge and the Brierley Hill Metro Extension.
Andy Street has written to me giving an update of the technical aspects of the proposed Stourbridge Dasher project and to reaffirm that the WMCA is firmly committed to delivering a transport extension to Stourbridge.
I have been working to obtain finance for the Dasher through Restoring Your Railways Fund Bid. I recently met with the new Transport Secretary Mark Harper to discuss the fund.
I am very pleased the Stourbridge Dasher remains firmly in the mind of the mayor and we will continue to work together effectively to find the solutions and funding we need to make this project work, It may be that we need to explore light rail options.
This exciting project would link Stourbridge to the wider West Midlands region and give us significant scope for economic regeneration, public transport connectivity and development of numerous brownfield sites.
My job is to do all I can to secure funding. The meeting with the secretary of state allowed me to outline the situation.
In his letter, the mayor said the economic case for the Dasher had been hampered by the need to avoid interaction with freight trains that sometimes use the line. This reduced the frequency of passenger services which could be delivered on the corridor.
However, WMCA officers will explore a potential collaboration with Pre-Metro Operations Limited to develop the business case for very light rail.
