Route highlights poverty gap

NEW TRAM LINE PASSES THROUGH SOME OF MOST DEPRIVED AREAS

- BY MARTYN SMITH

THE route of the Midlands Metro in Dudley draws a poverty line highlighting the gap between the borough's rich and poor.

The first phase of the tram line into Dudley town centre is set to open soon.

Further development into Merry Hill will begin in 2026 and continue into Brierley Hill when extra funding is found.

The line passes through some of the most deprived council wards in the borough and a look at numbers from the 2021 census, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), lays bare the level of deprivation.

On its way into the borough from Wednesbury, the Metro passes through Castle and Priory, St James's and St Thomas's where levels of household deprivation based on education, employment, health and housing are above both the national and borough average.