Current Fundraising
Restoring the Electric Age: Reviving the Trolleybus Experience
Black Country Living Museum has secured £272,000 from the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund to restore its historic trolleybuses and bring electric transport back to life in Dudley.
The project will see three locally built trolleybuses return to operation, running through the Museum’s 1940s–60s High Street, creating a unique visitor experience and celebrating the region’s role in early electric transport.
From the quiet hum of mid-century trolleybuses to the arrival of modern Metro trams, Dudley is once again becoming a place defined by electric transport.
Black Country Living Museum has secured £272,000 from the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund to restore and relaunch its historic electric trolleybus network - reconnecting visitors with a defining part of the region’s transport heritage.
The project, Restoring the Electric Age: Reviving the Trolleybus Experience at Black Country Living Museum, will return three locally built trolleybuses to full working order and extend their route into the Museum’s 1940s–60s High Street.
The announcement comes at a pivotal moment for the region. Later this year, Dudley will be reconnected to the national rail and tram network through the arrival of the West Midlands Metro, linking the town directly to Birmingham and Wolverhampton and transforming how people travel across the Black Country.
Once complete, the Museum will become the only place in the UK where visitors can experience historic trolleybuses running through an authentic mid-century streetscape - a living, moving piece of history in the very communities that helped shape it. The project will also:
- Improve accessibility across the Museum’s 29-acre site
- Reduce reliance on diesel vehicles
- Support more sustainable visitor travel
- Enhance the overall visitor experience
The timing is particularly significant, with Dudley set to welcome the West Midlands Metro later this year - reconnecting the town to the wider transport network.
Together, these developments highlight both the history and future of electric transport in the region.
Why this project matters
The trolleybus network has been out of operation for over three years due to infrastructure issues. This funding ensures its long-term future and protects an important part of the Museum’s transport collection.
It also supports the Museum’s mission to bring the Black Country’s industrial and social history to life through immersive, working experiences.
How you can support the project
While this funding secures the core of the project, we are now inviting supporters to help us go further.
Additional funding will support interpretation, accessibility improvements and enhancements to the visitor experience, ensuring the trolleybus network can be enjoyed by generations to come.