£50m approved for tram and station revamps

Funding of £50m has been approved to begin work on a tram line serving Birmingham City FC's planned new stadium and to upgrade nearby railway stations used by Villa Park passengers.

Mayor Richard Parker and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) agreed to bring forward the money to accelerate early work on major transport schemes, including extending the Metro to the Birmingham City Powerhouse Stadium site.

The funding will also support improvements to stations serving Villa Park, home of Aston Villa, and further development of new tram technology in Coventry.

The investment would help transform how fans travelled to major sporting venues., Parker said.

"Fans deserve a modern, reliable and affordable public transport to get them to and from their stadium on matchdays, so we have made these projects a priority and provided the funding to get them started straight away," he added.

The Metro extension is seen as key to unlocking wider regeneration plans linked to Birmingham City FC, whose owners Knighthead Capital are planning a major Sports Quarter development expected to bring new homes and thousands of jobs.

Detailed planning will also begin to upgrade Witton and Aston stations to prepare for increased demand, including during the Euro 2028 football tournament.

Parker said the wider transport investment would help drive economic growth.

"Together we are building a new transport network to fuel the economy, secure investment and bring the new homes and jobs local people need," he said.

The £50m is an advance from a wider £2.4bn government transport funding package allocated to the West Midlands for the period between 2027 and 2032.

The money will also support continued development of Coventry's Very Light Rail project, which aims to deliver tram systems more quickly and at lower cost than traditional networks.

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