Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is looking to add up to 50 more battery-powered trams to its expanding network, following the success of the first one (launched in April).

TfWM — part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) — is tendering for 18 new trams, with the option to purchase a further 32, all of which can be powered by batteries.

Extensions to the tram network are at the heart of a £3.4 billion investment in West Midlands transport over the next decade.

This will include new suburban rail lines, cycle routes and motorway improvements, in order to maximise the economic benefits of the HS2 high-speed rail line.

Councillor Roger Lawrence, WMCA portfolio holder for transport and leader of Wolverhampton City Council, said: “The West Midlands is leading the way on sustainable public transport in this country.

We launched the UK’s first battery-powered tram earlier this year, and now we’re adding more to the network.

We had to wait for the technology to catch up with our ambition, so we will retrofit all our existing trams with batteries too.

“Eventually, this tender could treble the number of trams operating on our network — potentially increasing our regional fleet from 21 trams to 71 — meaning more services and more stops as we extend the tram network for passengers across the West Midlands.”

The new trams will provide services on a number of forthcoming extensions to the existing network, which runs between Wolverhampton St George’s and Birmingham Grand Central.