(From left to right: Sonia Kumar MP, Steve Jasper, Chair, Beverley Nielsen, and Phil Evans)

Pre Metro Chairman, Steve Jasper, and MD, Phil Evans, were delighted to welcome Dudley MP, Sonia Kumar, to Stourbridge on Friday, 30th May, to learn more about the plans for the Dudley Dasher.

Proposals are in development to link Stourbridge to Dudley via existing freight lines and Metro lines (in development) to provide a new, affordable, very light rail link between Stourbridge and Dudley.

 In line with repeated calls from local employers, this would provide efficient rail-based public transport links into this highly congested area, still overly dependent on cars.

Sonia Kumar’s visit follows previous meetings with local Stourbridge MP, Cat Eccles, Sarah Moorhouse, CEO of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, Cllr Patrick Harley, Leader, Dudley Council and Cllr Paul Bradley, Deputy Leader, responsible for Communities and Economic Delivery at Dudley Council, and West Midlands Combined Authority Mayor, Richard Parker.

Pre Metro is engaged in extensive dialogue with local partners and stakeholders to raise the profile of the opportunity for affordable rail links between Stourbridge, Brierley Hill and Dudley and are in discussions to raise funding for a detailed feasibility study.

This article was guest-authored by Beverley Nielsen, business consultant for Pre Metro Operations Ltd., supporting the Centre for the New Midlands as a Research Associate, and a Visiting Professor at the Centre for Brexit Studies, Birmingham City University.