There are currently three West Midlands Metro extensions being worked on with a view to them opening in the next few years. Expected to be the first up and running is that to Wolverhampton Railway Station (“Spring 2023”) with that to Dudley due to follow in 2024, the third doesn’t have an opening date (as its tied into HS2 works at Curzon Street) and is the Birmingham Eastside line which runs from Bull Street to High Street Deritend. Its that third extension that we take a look at recent progress in this pictorial article. Photos from Tim Walton.
Initial work on the Eastside extension got underway in spring 2021 with the first major works taking place later that year when the delta junction linking it to the current city centre line between Bull Street and Corporation Street was installed. Since that the first tracks were laid in the final quarter of 2022 at Digbeth and since then more track has gone down at the city centre end of the line.
The line will be 1.7km long and diverges from the Birmingham City Centre line at Bull Street before travelling to High Street Deritend. Including the new terminus there will be four new stops added to the network, serving both the new HS2 station and Birmingham Coach Station.
This view is looking down Bull Street from the delta junction. The tracks going right will head to Corporation Street with it possible for trams to run in both directions from the Eastside extension. As can be seen the rails are down but have yet to be encased in concrete.
Another similar view, again showing the tracks leading to Corporation Street on the right.
Looking in the opposite direction with Corporation Street to the left and Bull Street stop straight ahead.
Further along Lower Bull Street and track is still to go down. Building demolition work is needed on this section of route to allow the final alignment to be put in place.
Here we look as the line curves into Corporation Street. The tracks laid as part of the delta junction installation are already surrounded by concrete while those more recently put down have yet to enjoy that addition. (All Photographs by Tim Walton, 2nd January 2023)