We go East and West in Birmingham City Centre today as we take a quick look at construction works on both the Eastside and Westside extensions. While the Westside extension is nearing completion for the Eastside extension to Digbeth it is just at the start of a journey, a journey which will see no trams able to run through the city centre for almost three months starting later in July. Martin Miller and Ken Jones both took trips out to capture these progress images for us.
We start on the Eastside extension with this view taken just where Corporation Street and Bull Street meet. This will be the main focus of works from the end of July when the current tracks are connected to those on the Birmingham Eastside extension. Preparatory works are already underway behind the green netting – note the Midland Metro Alliance pink barriers – and this will continue to allow tracks to be installed between the end of July and October.
Looking down Corporation Street with the junction of the Eastside and City Centre lines just seen on the left. Corporation Street will also be the subject of rail replacement works during the closure.
A closer-look at Lower Bull Street on the Eastside extension where the first stage of works to construct the new line are underway. (Photographs x3 by Martin Miller, 5th July 2021)
A view on Lower Bull Street with early preparatory works taking place behind the barriers.
Plenty of diggers are being used in this section as the work to bring the West Midlands Metro to this area of Birmingham continues.
In this view we see the tracks curving round from Bull Street to Corporation Street. Lower Bull Street is on the right where the Eastside tracks will go. (Photographs x3 by Ken Jones, 7th July 2021)
Moving along to the Birmingham Westside extension and this is the view taken from the current end of the line at Library. With more cones than anyone could ever want to see in one photo trams are set to run along this stretch to new stops at Brindleyplace, Five Ways and Hagley Road by the end of this year. Testing is expected in the autumn before an opening in December 2021. (Photographs by Martin Miller, 5th July 2021)
- A video from Martin Miller of the Lower Bull Street junction is also available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wq-meXW_ns
Yes but which direction does the new track take at the bottom end of Bull Street? Into High Street and Carrs Lane?
At the bottom of Bull Street it crosses into Albert Street then when it reaches Curzon Street for HS2 it turns along New Canal Street and into Meriden Street and then turns left when it reaches Digbeth and onto High Street Deritend. It does not go along High Street or Carrs Lane in the City Centre. Work has already started in Digbeth by the council to remove traffic lanes and central reservation.