My plan captured the imagination, partly thanks to a Tube-style map which lays out just how all of these new networks would knit together. And right in the centre of the plan was Digbeth, where work has begun on one of the first steps in this 20-year ambition.

Of course, creating an ‘Underground’ map also clearly signalled my determination to build a transport network of the standard enjoyed by the capital for decades – with the funding to match. Then the pandemic struck.

So, what has been achieved since the plan was launched? Despite the many challenges of the last year, we have been getting on with the job. Work has continued apace, despite COVID 19.

First, in central Birmingham, the ‘Westside’ Metro extension from Centenary Square to Edgbaston village is set to open later this year. But I’m delighted that work has started in Digbeth, on the ‘Eastside’ line, which will take the Metro through to link with HS2 at the new Curzon Street station. This is a hugely important first step in my plan.

But it’s not just about Birmingham. Two of our largest projects are brand new stations in Wolverhampton and Coventry. Both are progressing fast and Wolverhampton will open in the Spring – along with a new link to the Metro network.

Elsewhere on the railways, we have made major progress on our plans to work with Government and our local Councils to reverse the Beeching cuts, and reopen long-closed stations. Planning permission has been secured for five new stations – including in South Birmingham.

This is just the start. We are about to bombard Grant Shapps and his team with plans for many more stations, including Tettenhall in Wolverhampton, three more in Coventry, at Binley, Coundon and Foleshill, and at the Fort and Castle Bromwich in North Birmingham.

The Metro section of my plan is also progressing at pace. Not long after becoming Mayor, I secured £250million of Government support to extend the Metro network. Looking back now, that early win indicated a shift in onus after years of underinvestment in the region. That money has underpinned the rapid expansion of the Metro, putting diggers in the ground.

Huge progress has also been made on the buses network, which remains the backbone of public transport here, with 267 million journeys a year compared to 50 million for rail and about 7 million on the Metro. Our bus fleet has been continually improved, with new vehicles and cutting edge technology. National Express’s Platinum buses boast comfier seats, USB points to charge phones, crystal-clear CCTV, bright LED interior lighting and improved sound proofing.

National Express, based in Mill Lane, Digbeth, has been a major player in improving local public transport. It has also announced a fourth consecutive annual fare freeze – a huge contribution to millions of families here at such a difficult time.

Then there is ‘Very Light Rail’, a pioneering concept that draws on design and component expertise from our auto industry to create a relatively low-cost streetcar system.

What the transport map doesn’t show are the numerous other schemes on the table to improve cycling, walking and healthier ways of getting around which will also play a part in revolutionising how people move about the conurbation.



We aren’t going to overturn 40 years underinvestment in the West Midlands in just four years, but we are moving forward at pace and are on target. Digbeth is at the heart of what we are doing.

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