The expansion of the West Midlands Metro sees no signs of abating with the news that the main construction works on the Birmingham Eastside extensions is set to get underway later this spring. The first works will see a new junction constructed at Lower Bull Street and Corporation Street with the summer having to see the current line through the city centre temporarily closed to allow the two lines to be connected.
The £227 million Birmingham Eastside extension will run to Digbeth travelling via the HS2 station at Curzon Street and should see four new stops constructed. It will be 1.7km in length and more than half of the route will be built without overhead wires. Trams will leave the current West Midlands Metro route in Birmingham City Centre shortly after the stop at Bull Street travelling via stops at Albert Street, New Canal Street, Meriden Street and High Street Deritend.
To allow track to be laid for the new line, Lower Bull Street will be closed to all traffic during construction (although pedestrian access will be maintained) and comes after the completion of utility diversion works in the area.
Director of the Midland Metro Alliance, Peter Cushing, said: “The expansion of the Metro to the east of the city will make it easier for those living, working and travelling in Birmingham to get around. This is an exciting scheme which will help transform and support the regeneration of Digbeth by improving connectivity and making the most out of HS2. I am delighted that we will be starting construction shortly and look forward to seeing progress made on the project over the coming months.”
While this initial stage of the main works will not see any disruption for current West Midlands Metro services, later in the summer there will be as when the tracks on the Eastside line are connected to the current city centre line it won’t be possible for normal services to run for a period. In the press release no date is given for when this will happen except that it will be in the summer and will see trams terminate at “an alternative location in the city centre”. Normal services would resume before the autumn. This will be before the remaining phase of the Westside extension to Hagley Road, Edgbaston opens so at least we now know that won’t be until the latter stages of the year!
Sophie Allison, Head of Business Transformation at Midland Metro Limited, said: “Passengers should expect some localised disruption to our services in the city centre this summer. We will continue to work with partners to ensure that passengers are provided with details of the works and alterations to services. Our customer service team will publicise information later this spring which will enable those using trams to plan their journeys in advance.”
The works in Lower Bull Street are expected to be completed by spring 2022 and during this time buses which usually serve the road will be diverted to proposed alternative stops at Albert Street, Corporation Street, Dale End and Moor Street Queensway.