The West Midlands Metro Birmingham Westside extension (phase two) looks likely to be the next UK tram line to open to the public (due to be somewhen in 2021 although no specific date or even time of year has probably sensibly been announced yet) and in this article we take a look at some early 2021 images to show the progress being made on the construction of the line. Andy Walters provides us with these photos.
The Westside extension will run from the current – and temporary – terminus of Library travelling by way of Broad Street and Five Ways to a new terminus at Hagley Road, Edgbaston. There will be three new stops built (Brindleyplace, Five Ways and Hagley Road) and it is planned that eventually a peak service every 6 minutes (8 minutes off peak, 15 minutes on a Sunday) will operate through to Wolverhampton.
Starting off at the Centenary Square end of the line and just onto Broad Street here we see the track in place and the top surface also now down.
A little further along Broad Street and work is continuing on the infrastructure works with the track also in place at this location.
Work is underway here on the first of the stops along Broad Street. Named Brindleyplace on all the literature for the line good progress seems to have made here since work commenced in December. A shelter can be seen on the far side with one of the information panels seen on the platform closest to the camera.
A closer view of the work on constructing the platform.
Moving towards Five Ways with more work taking place.
Five Ways underpass which will take trams from Broad Street to Hagley Road.
The scene on Hagley Road with track down.
The crossover just before the terminus at Hagley Road to allow trams to access both platforms.
As far as trams will go once the line opens outside 54 Hagley Road. (All Photographs by Andy Walters, 5th January 2021)