Plans brought forward for Birmingham Eastside Metro extension

Plans have been brought forward to open the first section of the Birmingham Eastside Metro extension.A temporary Metro terminus will be installed next to Moor Street Queensway to accelerate provision of tram services to the east of Birmingham city centre.The full line to Digbeth is to open later than planned because construction work on the tram track through Curzon Street Station cannot begin until HS2 has handed over the site – which is not expected to be until 2026 at the earliest.Regional transport bosses are now set to approve plans for a temporary stop and terminus, to open in 2025/26, which will offer links between the tram and train and bus services at Moor Street Station and the Bus Mall, as well as offer a stop for Birmingham City University and Millennium Point.By this time West Midlands Metro service will have been extended as far as Dudley town centre.The project is designed by the Midland Metro Alliance (MMA) on behalf of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, said: “Despite ongoing HS2 works at Curzon Street hampering our ability to finish the full Eastside extension until Metro is able to get on-site at Curzon Street, I tasked transport officials with finding a way to get trams running sooner.”That’s why I’m delighted we’ve found an innovative solution to part-open the Eastside metro extension, with this stop at the Clayton Hotel enabling local people and businesses to start benefitting sooner. This approach means trams will be running here in 2025/2026.”Councillor Liz Clements, cabinet member for transport at Birmingham City Council, added: “Although the delay to the Eastside extension due to HS2 works is frustrating, this plan for a temporary terminus will allow people to make easy transfers from rail to bus and metro by the Clayton Hotel.”Work, which is being carried out by the MMA, is already making progress with the delta junction at Lower Bull Street handed over to TfWM last month and the section along Digbeth High Street due to be completed before the end of the year.Buildings have been demolished and preliminary works are underway on the third section between Dale End, across Moor Street Queensway to Park Street – where the temporary terminus will be located.The WMCA Board, when it meets on 17 November, will be asked to approve an £18m increase to the project’s £227m budget to complete the terminus.