All aboard the new Sprint Bus as £10m is invested by bank

The UK Infrastructure Bank is to partner with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to invest £10m in the new Sprint Bus Route in Birmingham.

Phase 1 of the project is to reduce congestion along the A45 corridor and increase connectivity between residential and employment areas. It aims to support the WMCA’s ambition to create a zero-emissions corridor by 2030.

Once completed, the projected is expected to unlock around 4000 jobs due to the increased frequency of connections between Birmingham city centre, Solihull and Birmingham Airport.

Journey times along the route will be significantly faster and more reliable, with peak services running at least every 10 minutes.

The £10m is being provided as part of the bank’s local lending function, which is in line with its objectives to boost regional growth and support the UK’s ambitions on net-zero.

CEO of the UK Infrastructure Bank, John Flint said: “This project not only delivers in working towards achieving our net-zero target but is important to the economic growth in the region.

“Zero-Emission Buses are crucial to decarbonise the transport sector and provide efficient, reliable services for all.”

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, said: “Our Sprint project represents a major investment in our public transport network to enable us to improve both reliability and journey times for passengers, bypassing traffic jams on some of Birmingham’s key routes.”