There are currently two major extension projects on UK tramways and they are both on the West Midlands Metro. Having recently paid a visit to see progress on the line out to Dudley (now to be known as the Black Country line) this time we go onto the Eastside line which will end up being a two phase extension as well due to the delays caused by HS2 construction. Ken Jones is our guide for these photos and in this first part we take a look at the route at the far end in Digbeth.
Eventually the Eastside extension will travel for 1.7km to High Street, Deritend. It will leave the current Birmingham City Centre line at the delta junction constructed at Bull Street/Corporation Street and then travel onwards with interchange being provided both at Birmingham Coach Station and Curzon Street HS2 Station. That’s how it will be eventually but the HS2 construction will hold things up meaning that initially a temporary terminus will be built outside the Clayton Hotel to allow trams to at least travel that far. Tram works around Curzon Street won’t be possible until HS2 work is done and dusted.
With lots of closures around the HS2 site at the moment, its not easy to find your way around the tram route but unperturbed, Ken Jones managed to take a walk along the route thanks to lots of research and the results of that are shown in these photos as well as those we’ll see next time.

We start off at High Street Deritend where the suggested future track will be is currently a grass bed to prevent digging up the road, but note how the tram signal (left hand side) is in place and working.

View towards city at end of tram lines in High Street Deritend. Note the crossovers in place to allow trams to use either platform when arriving and departing.

Junction at Meriden Street where A41 is now single carriageway. Birmingham Coach Station in the background.

New Canal Street where the trams should go under the railway bridge, but like the two police cyclists in front access ahead to the old Curzon Street station is restricted to HS2 staff, so they and the photographer will have to make a detour turning right into Fazeley Street.