Funding to kickstart work on a tram line to the new Birmingham City Powerhouse Stadium and upgrade railway stations serving Villa Park has been approved by regional transport chiefs.
Mayor Richard Parker and the West Midlands Combined Authority Board agreed to advance £50 million to accelerate early work such as detailed design, surveys and business cases on several key transport projects including the flagship scheme to extend the Metro to the Sports Quarter regeneration site in east Birmingham.
The funding will also be used to start work on upgrading the Witton and Aston train stations to support the expansion of Villa Park and to take the development of Very Light Rail in Coventry to the next stage.
Two men standing in front of a blue tram with the words 'Sports Quarter' on its destination sign
Mayor Richard Parker and Jeremy Dale, Birmingham City FC chief executive visit the tram extension which will one day reach the new stadium
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Fans deserve a modern, reliable and affordable public transport to get them to and from their stadium on match days – so we have made these projects a priority and provided the funding to get them started straight away.
“This funding means we can complete essential design and survey work at an earlier stage and be ready to get spades in the ground next year.
“Together we are building a new transport network to fuel the economy, secure investment and bring the new homes and jobs local people need.”
The £50 million is an advance on the £2.4 billion Transport for City Regions funding coming from government to the West Midlands from 2027 to 2032. The money will be used for new road, rail, tram, bus and active travel investment.
Getting the Metro extension open in time is key to unlocking Birmingham City FC owner Knighthead Capital’s investment plans for the Sports Quarter which will bring new homes and thousands of jobs for the community.
Funding is also going towards further development of the pioneering Very Light Rail (VLR) project in Coventry, including upgrades of the tram and the innovative slab and track technology. VLR will allow urban tramways to be built in half the time and for half the cost of traditional tram systems.
And it means detailed design and planning work can start on the upgrades to improve the passenger experience at Witton and Aston railway stations. This will support the wider £150m investment into Villa Park by Aston Villa's owners as well as getting the stations ready for hosting the Euro 2028 football tournament.
The Mayor, sat in a tram like vehicle as it travels along a city street
Mayor Richard Parker rides the Coventry VLR last year
The decision to bring forward funding was part of a wider review of transport investment to make sure the region gets maximum benefit from the £2.4bn Transport for City Regions funding secured by the Mayor last summer.
The WMCA Board has already agreed to allocate £400 million for Sports Quarter transport links including the Metro extension and a further £25 million for Witton and Aston station upgrades.
It also confirmed the doubling of funding to £240m for pothole repairs and road improvements in Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
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