Transport for West Midlands is the public body responsible for co-ordinating transport services in the West Midlands metropolitan county in England. It is an executive body of the West Midlands Combined Authority, with bus franchising and highway management powers similar to Transport for London. TfWM's policies and strategy are set by the Transport Delivery Committee of the WMCA. TfWM's initial priorities are the expansion of the Metro through East Birmingham, Brierley Hill and Birmingham Airport, improvements to the M5 and M6 motorways, and new cycle routes as part of a metropolitan cycle network. There are also plans to work with central government over the future of the underused M6 Toll.
The WMCA's Transport Delivery Committee is a 19-member sub-committee of the Combined Authority Board. It forms part of TfWM's activities, and provides oversight of the operational delivery of transport across the West Midlands and advises the Combined Authority Board, through the Transport Portfolio Holder, on transport policy matters. The members are nominated by their respective local authorities; Birmingham City Council nominating seven members, the six other Metropolitan Boroughs nominating two members each. Each member has a single vote. The Chair and Vice-Chair of the Transport Delivery Committee are appointed by the Combined Authority Board.
Responsibilities
The WMCA is the Local Transport Authority and has a statutory responsibility to implement policies and strategies that co-ordinate and promote the use of public transport in the West Midlands. The WMCA's transport responsibilities include:
Strategy
Setting and monitoring the authority's transport budget, determining the grants to be made to passenger transport companies, and determining the borrowing limits of the Combined Authority in relation to transport matters.
The allocation and prioritisation of central government grants and other forms of funding.
Long-term strategy for the West Midlands transport system, contributing to regional economic development through a network of high-volume public transport corridors.
Constructing and maintaining public transport infrastructure.
Working with public transport operators, the police, and district councils for the promotion of safe, efficient, and economic transport facilities and services.
Providing integration between public transport modes, including the provision of interchanges.
Promoting and publicising the public transport network and providing travel information.
Considering and approving the creation and development of Bus Quality Contract Schemes
Increasing bus travel, and supporting the modernisation of the bus network in the region with the West Midlands Bus Alliance.
Subsidising socially necessary but commercially non-viable bus services.
Franchising bus services, if deemed necessary to improve passenger services.
Ticketing and fares
Operating a concessionary fares scheme and implementing the government’s National Concessionary Scheme.
Integrated ticketing and developing smartcard ticketing technology within the region.
Providing an annual grant to the of the door-to-door Ring and Ride service for people who have difficulty using other public transport facilities.
Highways
Management of the West Midlands Key Route Network on behalf of the metropolitan boroughs and the mayor.
Create and promote an effective freight strategy throughout the metropolitan area.
Branding
Network West Midlands was initially the brand used by TfWM when it assumed responsibility for public transport from Centro in 2016. In 2018, the system was rebranded with Transport for West Midlands and West Midlands Network becoming the public facing brands for transport. The system is designed to emulate the success of the Transport for London roundel, with a central diamond symbol used to denote different modes. All buses in the county will carry the same livery, irrespective of the operator running the service. The phase out of this new brand is predicted to last several years, as signage and livery is replaced on a rolling basis.
TfWM's predecessor, Centro, was responsible for the reintroduction of tram services to the West Midlands, with the development of the Midland Metro. Plans for a multi-line light rail system for the West Midlands were first drawn up in the early 1980s. The first line of the Midland Metro was opened in May 1999 between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. The line's first extension into the streets of Birmingham city centre, from its original terminus at Birmingham Snow Hill to Grand Central opened in May 2016. Further extensions of the system are planned.
West Midlands Bus
On Sunday 19 August 2018National Express West Midlands and Diamond launched a joint timetable on services 42 West Bromwich to Tipton/Dudley and 43 West Bromwich to Bilston and 31 Mossley to Walsall 32 Lower Farm to Walsall, with National Express and Diamond buses repainted in red liveries carrying West Midlands Bus route branding. From Sunday 15 March 2020 National Express West Midlands and Diamond launched a joint timetable on services 40 West Bromwich to Wednesbury via Friar Park
High-speed rail
In August 2009, TfWM's predecessor, Centro, backed construction of a new railway in the West Midlands region for use by High Speed 2 trains, which would allow existing lines to have "better and more frequent local services".
Sprint
In July 2014, it was announced that a new BRT bus-tram service named Sprint would be introduced on the Hagley Road, from which it would connect with the western end of the Metro's Line One extension. Viewed as 'Metro's Little Sister', Sprint is intended to offer a higher level of service quality than standard bus services, and will feature some bus priority measures, like bus lanes and priority signalling to speed up service. Sprint should grow demand, and improve connectivity in areas which do not yet fully justify Metro access. Centro stated that the new City Centre-Quinton route was chosen primarily for its potential for economic growth. The route will have 16 stops. If the Quinton line is successful, there are plans to expand Sprint by running a service down the Coventry Road to the airport, connecting with the existing Sprint service in the city, thereby providing a cross-city connection which is currently not offered by bus or Metro.
Ticketing
TfWM is committed to the introduction of an integrated ticketing system. Network West Midlands tickets are valid across the entire network, on any operator involved in the 'n' scheme.
nBus
nBus tickets are valid on almost all operators' services in the county. Tickets can be purchased for travel within various local travel areas or across the whole of the county, and are valid for periods ranging from one day to a year. Metro travel may be added onto nBus passes.
nTrain
nTrain passes are valid on all local train services within the Network West Midlands zonal rail map (Including Hednesford, or to select out-of-county stations in the Birmingham travel-to-work metropolitan area.
Swift
Swift is the multi-modal, multi-operator smart travel card, similar to the Oyster card scheme in London. Rather than being a single card, it is a range of contactless passes and cards that share a common system and brand name. Centro began a phased rollout of the Swift card scheme in 2012, which was still ongoing in 2016 when responsibility for the scheme passed to TfWM. The system is expected to be extended across the local rail network as part of rail devolution in the West Midlands.
