New tram delays spark calls for sackings

Dudley Council’s leader is calling for heads to roll after further delays were announced in the arrival of the Midland Metro.

The tram link from Wednesbury was planned to open in August 2026, already two years late, but councillors have now been told that deadline will be missed.

Transport for West Midlands’ (TfWM) interim director, Sandeed Shingadia, told Cllr Patrick Harley there had been ‘adverse movement’ to the timescale after delays with signal commissioning.

In a blunt exchange of emails, Cllr Harley told the director: “This is completely unacceptable. Yet another delay. Excuse after excuse. 

“This is wearing very thin now. All you have done since before Covid is create a car park for people to park on Castle Hill. At least we get a revenue from today with the tickets the inspectors hand out.

“Apart from that I am just in complete dismay at the incompetence and inability of you guys to deliver a project on time and within budget.

“Whoever is accepting responsibility for this shambles only needs to do one thing – clear your desk.”

The project, which is the first phase of a scheme to take the Metro into Brierley Hill via the Merry Hill Centre, has been dogged by delays caused by increasing costs and unexpected extra work which only came to light during construction.

A TfWM spokesperson said: “We understand why people are eager to see the new tram route opened. It will bring a major economic boost to Dudley town centre and communities along the line.

“As the longest light rail route currently being delivered in the UK, this is a hugely complex project. It has required repairing Victorian infrastructure, navigating unpredictable ground conditions, and working within a busy town centre.

“The good news is that construction is now finished and we are in an extensive testing and commissioning phase, involving external partner organisations and industry regulators. Testing will require traffic and tram movements to be carefully monitored and managed.

“Our priority through this phase is to ensure that we can guarantee a safe and reliable service for passengers.”

TfWM was unable to give a specific date for when the line will open but are expecting trams to be running before the end of the year.

Cllr Harley however seems in no mood to let anyone off the hook at TfWM, he told The Local Democracy Reporting Service: “If this were a DMBC project I’d sack the lot of them.”