West Midlands transport chiefs back £3.4bn shopping list

West Midlands transport chiefs have backed a £3.4 billion shopping list of new rail and metro lines, cycle routes and road upgrades - including the long-awaited return of rail services to Moseley.

And they confirmed many projects on the plan, to be enacted over the next decade, are either wholly or part funded - most through HS2 spin-off and devolution funding from the Government.

The plan includes projects already in the pipeline, such as the extension of the Metro Tram from Digbeth to Birmingham Airport, as well as confirming the ambition to open up suburban lines in the north and south of the city as part of the Camp Hill Chords project.

Regional transport chief and Wolverhampton council leader Roger Lawrence said: "Transport is key as we work to ensure the West Midlands punches its weight nationally and globally.

"HS2 will bring us closer to London and the UK's other big city regions and make us a world-class place in which to do business.

"Now that this blueprint has been approved we can get to work in putting it into action.

"These are exciting schemes that will transform transport in our region and steer investment here to create new jobs and homes, building on the significant growth and development that is already happening through HS2."

The confirmation of the plan follows wide public consultation which in particular saw a huge call for further investment in cycle routes.

A £165 million Local Cycle Network programme has been added to plan as a result.

Coun Lawrence added: "I am particularly pleased at how the views of the public helped shape this final plan. That sort of input is key in helping us deliver what people need."

The programme includes schemes already backed with £3 billion funding, potential schemes for which the transport authority will bid for funding and research into more long-term projects.

In his election campaign, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street pledged to get construction work started on introducing passengers services through Kings Heath and Moseley by the time of the next election in 2020.

Schemes to be completed over the coming decade include:

Birmingham

• Extending the Midland Metro system to Birmingham Curzon HS2 station in Eastside then through Digbeth and north Solihull to Birmingham Airport/HS2 Interchange

• Improved road junction at congestion hot spots

• New cycle routes

• The Camp Hill Chords railway project to open up new suburban lines for areas such as Castle Vale and Castle Bromwich in the north and Moseley and Kings Heath in the south

Coventry

• A redeveloped Coventry railway station

• Improvements to bottleneck road junctions and a new Key Route Network through the city

• Major improvements to the M6 and the A46

• New cycle routes

Dudley and Sandwell

• Midland Metro tram route between Brierley Hill, Dudley and Wednesbury, connecting to the existing Birmingham-Wolverhampton line

• Improved M5/M6 motorway junctions

• Smart motorways

• New cycle routes

Solihull

• Extending the Midland Metro tram system from Digbeth, through north Solihull to Birmingham Airport/HS2 Interchange