Yes, this is a “stating the obvious” kind of article but it may not have escaped your notice that the first phase of the Birmingham Eastside extension as far as Millennium Point did not open in late 2025 as had been hoped. Although testing was underway in 2025, issues were discovered which has meant its opening has been pushed back further with the latest being “early 2026”.
The Eastside extension will initially leave the current Birmingham City Centre extension at the Corporation Street delta junction before heading onto Lower Bull Street and then onto a stop at Albert Street before going to Millennium Point where a temporary terminus has been provided outside the Clayton Hotel.
Testing and driver training had been taking place in the latter part of 2025 and when the new timetable which saw Wolverhampton St George’s join the network permanently was introduced this was accelerated with some trams going out of service at Bull Street in order to go onto the extension.
But during this testing and commissioning phase issues were found which led to the decision to delay the opening of the line. No official date was ever announced publicly and that is still the case although it is hoped that it will be carrying passengers at some point in early 2026.
Meanwhile, the other extension currently under construction – the Black Country line to Flood Street in Dudley – is still seeing work in order to bring that phase to a close. Testing will then follow and its that as early as possible in 2026 timeline that Transport for West Midlands and the Midland Metro Alliance are following for this one as well. This line is also split into phases with the section to Dudley just phase one before phase two as far as Merry Hill comes later.
Can they define early, Is Early January or February or do they consider spring Early
Sadly the Black Country further extension is NOT going to Merry Hill (at least this time). It is only authorised to the stop BEFORE Merry Hill which was originally to be called Waterfront. That stop has been optimistically renamed ‘Waterfront Merry Hill’. It is actually in the middle of a car park surrounded by offices and a significant walk to Merry Hill Shopping Centre (especially carrying heavy shopping).
This is very clear on this official map:
https://tinyurl.com/2wxz7hts (zoom in)
I can see trams having issues passing under black country news road, they closed the old railway crossing at eagle lane in great bridge to hill top as it was tight for cars and vans to pass under.
Well, for whatever reason, work was being carried out before Christmas at the Level Street roundabout, and off of the bank of the canal, coming out of the Waterfront toward the 9 Locks.
Oh well,at least it won’t be a long walk to the Wetherspoons
I’ve been visiting the extension every Sunday since work started ,but my last visit was just before Xmas ,Tipton stop had only just started to be built ,some track work at Tipton road stop needed putting in & then concreting in
No signals had been put in on the Dudley road section end ,all tram stops are 90% finished ,the Dudley stop had been vandalized as had flood stop .
The points at Wendsbury end have not been connected to the main line yet ( so a works closeuer & service disruption is due at some point )
Once the inferstctue is finished ( still along way off yet)
It will need to be thoroughly tested by A tram & signals tested along the route and most importantly the junction at Dudley end ( note problem with st Georges & Bull St )
Then it will need to be passed for passenger service & handed over from MMA to WMM
who will then start training driver trainers ,who will then start to train the entire WMM fleet of drivers ,once done you will get a service .
Only the section from Wendsbury junction to Great bridge is on overhead wires ,the remaining steep climb up to Dudley & to flood st will be on batteries, will Urbos 3s with 9 year old batteries make day after day?
I’m paying a visit tomorrow so may be my personal view of it testing in mid summer & service starting autumn 26 might change ,but I doubt it .
Seen your local like me, what are you thoughts on great bridge do you think the trams will struggle going under the Black Country new road,
I recall the old road dial lane was closed as cars would have struggled there.
More news on the Dudley line has been released ,and a month when it will start operating
They couldn’t get the date right to start was supposed to be 2022 for the whole line, then 2023, then 2024 then 2024 to Dudley then 2025, how can we believe 28th August 2026 is actually going to be hit