Decision details

The board considered a report from the West Midlands Metro Project Director on the on-going investment required on the existing metro infrastructure in order to keep the network safe, reliable and operational.

The metro line one infrastructure was over 20 years old and had had little significant replacement of equipment over this time, resulting in an increasing number of failures of the existing equipment, including failures of the overhead line equipment which had caused a closure of the whole line. A programme of renewals of key infrastructure, including overhead line, track and other equipment needed over the next five years had been developed with Midland Metro Ltd. Transport for West Midlands was asked to add on to this the annual repair works that would be anticipated for the next five year period. The costs of these works were included in the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement funding, including funding allocated to line one renewals for the most urgent of these works.

Councillor Mike Bird noted the amount of funding required to keep the metro operational and stressed the importance of ensuring that close attention was being paid to ensure that this was used efficiently and effectively.

Resolved:

(1)      The progression of the Line One Renewals full business case to the WMCA Board on 13 January 2023 be endorsed.

(2)      The request for funding of £27.85m through the full business case submission from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement scheme be recommended for approval.

(3)      It be noted that a business justification case for urgent line one renewals had been previously approved in the sum of £2.15m, bringing the overall total City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement funding for line one renewals to £30m.

(4)      The appraisal recommendations be endorsed.

(5)      A further report be submitted to the board in 12 months’ time setting out the progress made in delivering these renewal works.