Further Birmingham city centre Metro extensions in the pipeline

Centro have launched another public consultation, this time to find out the public’s views of further planned extensions of Midland Metro in Birmingham city centre which would see the city’s major railway stations connected for the very first time by public transport.

The plans for the latest Metro extensions have been drawn up as part of the Birmingham Curzon HS2 Masterplan which would see 141 hectares of land in the city’s Eastside district transformed on the back of the HS2 proposals. It would not only be one of the biggest urban regeneration schemes in the UK but would also be far the biggest redevelopment scheme connected to the HS2 plans.

The Midland Metro extension would have two possible route options with Centro now seeking the public’s opinions on these. The first option is the longer of the two at 925 metres and would join the existing network at the junction of Bull Street and Corporation Street and travel down Lower Bull Street before turning right onto High Street. It would then continue into Carrs Lane, cross Moor Street Queensway (where a new Metro stop would be constructed) before continuing alongside Eastside promenade to the new Curzon Street station.

Option number two would run for 800 metres and would also join the existing network at the junction of Bull Street and Corporation Street. It would then travel along Lower Bull Street crossing Dale End and then on to New Meeting Street with a stop at Albert Street before reaching Moor Street Queensway and joining the new Curzon Street Station stop.

Both route options have been designed to allow future expansion of Midland Metro to the east of Birmingham. This could see lines built to Birmingham International Airport/National Exhibition Centre, the International Stations and UK Central/Solihull.

Cllr Kath Hartley, Vice Chair of Centro, said: “The Metro extension can play a key role in supporting Eastside’s on-going regeneration by providing better transport links to the city centre and the wider region. With the Enterprise Zone and HS2 being located there, we are seeing an increased focus on Eastside. It’s therefore important we get the right transport connections in place so that the area can grow sustainably. A Metro link can help achieve this.”

Public exhibitions will take place in Birmingham High Street on Saturday 1st March (0900-1700), Tuesday 4th March (1000-1800), Thursday 6th March (1000-1800) and Wednesday 12th March (from 1000). The deadline for any comments – which can be submitted via the website at www.centro.org.uk/metro – is 28th March.

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3 Responses to Further Birmingham city centre Metro extensions in the pipeline

  1. Surrinder Kumar says:

    Yes, what an excellent idea!

    Why aren’t you also looking into the “Main Arterial” routes in and out of the city? These are clogged morning an night with vehicular traffic, which could be vastly reduced with new metro routes out to the suburbs of Brum.

    Hagley Road, Bristol Road, Pershore Road, Walsall Road, all but to name a few.

    Brum is in desperate need of a coherent, multi-linked transport modes of travel. It has left itself lagging well behind other UK cities, yet assumes the mantel of “2nd City”, a dubious claim scoffed at by other pretenders to the “Throne”.

    Why has it taken nearly 60 years or so after the last old tram system was ripped up for scrap, that we are still sitting here debating the merits of a such system, one which was accepting, designed , built and run over a 100 years ago!!! Do we really need to be going round in circles on a tried and tested system in operation in other European and world cities???

    Stop the chit-chat, identify suitable routes, get the funding, approval and pull the proverbial “finger out” and get on with it!!!!! I won’t be here in another 60 years, let alone 30 or so, and would like to see the realization of this dream, at least for my grandchildren……

  2. Paul says:

    just looked at the maps again and notice where planned stop for Curzon St stop it is not far from National Express West Midlands (Bham Central Garage).
    I hope they can build a service line from the Curzon St tram stop and go up Fazaley St & liverpool St and into the garage where a few trams could be stored at end of service without having to go back to wednesbury at the end of service.

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