THE plans for Dudley's proposed bus and tram interchange show the town is on an 'upward trend', the council's regeneration chief has said.

Outline plans and artist impressions for a new bus and tram interchange in Dudley town centre were released at the end of last month by Transport for West Midlands, part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

The project is expected to cost £18million and it will serve buses and the West Midlands Metro when they run through the town as part of the upcoming Wednesbury to Dudley to Brierley Hill extension.

Councillor Keiran Casey, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said: "This is great news for Dudley. The town is already on an upward trend with so many exciting investment projects planned but this latest development really is a step in the right direction.

"The interchange is much more than a building; it will be the heart of the town’s transformation and will change how people travel to and from the borough, creating new opportunities for jobs and leisure."

He added: "This has been in the pipeline for a while now and I’m glad we’re finally at the point where we can see what it’s going to look like.”

The transport hub will be funded by £10million from the West Midlands Combined Authority combination of funding from the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership and Dudley Council.

If planning permission is accepted, the interchange will be completed by 2022 to coincide with the scheduled opening of the West Midlands Metro extension.