Council confirms commitment to bring the metro to North Solihull

ON TRACK: The Midland Metro is being extended

TRAMS look set to travel through North Solihull as plans advance to expand the Midland Metro network.
A new line, bringing trams into Birmingham city centre, was opened this month and discussions are already under way to extend this down to Birmingham Airport and the new HS2 Interchange Station.
This will mean carriages travelling through the borough, although with two possible routes being considered, it has been uncertain which areas would benefit.
One option would take the trams down the A45, a more direct route but of little use to local commuters.
Councillor Chris Williams (Green, Chelmsley Wood) this month called on Solihull Council to push for the alternative route through East Birmingham and North Solihull.
“It’s a bit longer and it’s going to be more expensive and when you’re talking about half a billion pounds I can just see a bit of pressure from Wolverhampton and Dudley saying… can you just have a straight line please?”
Councillor Ted Richards, cabinet member for transport and highways, insisted that the borough council was making the case for the second option.
“One of the things I have insisted when I have been involved in these discussions is it’s not right to take the Metro down the A45 as that doesn’t serve people.”
He recalled a previous attempt to bring the Metro through the north of the borough in the 1980s and in particular a heated meeting at Arden Hall, Castle Bromwich, in which some residents spoke against plans to bring “50 tonne carriages” down the Bradford Road.
Over 30 years on, Coun Richards said the council would fight hard to ensure it got an agreement which would make the biggest difference to the local community.
“We are going to get what we want for the benefit of our people,” he said