Work in Birmingham city centre to extend the Metro line to Digbeth is nearing completion with Lower Bull Street set to reopen later this week.
All the track has now been installed between Bull Street and Dale End, including the award-winning delta junction which will allow trams to travel in six different directions when the Birmingham Eastside Metro extension is in operation. Timelapse footage has been released revealing the progress made to date.
This latest significant milestone, which follows the recent demolition of the Kings Parade building, means that buses, heading towards Pheasey, Walsall, Sutton Coldfield and Brownhills West, that were diverted to temporary stops along High Street and Dale End will now pick up passengers from a new stop located nearby on Corporation Street from Sunday 23 July.
Councillor Liz Clements, Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “I am pleased that this extension has made such headway in recent weeks. The Metro is a key part of Birmingham’s sustainable transport offer as we encourage people to leave their cars at home so we can have safer streets, cleaner air and achieve our net zero emissions goal.”
Buses were diverted from Lower Bull Street in May 2021 as construction got underway and passengers are being advised to check with their operator for information on individual services that will be serving the new stop near the Square Peg pub.
The Midland Metro Alliance, which is planning, designing and building the scheme on behalf of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), will continue to have a presence in the area to carry out finishing activities including paving installation, with some fencing remaining in place. Track work will also continue in Dale End to further extend the route towards Digbeth.
Maria Ion, Project Director, said: “We are all extremely delighted to have reached this key stage of construction along Lower Bull Street. I would like to thank all the businesses, residents and visitors for their patience while the construction was taking place. Although we will still be carrying out some activity in Lower Bull Street and Dale End, our teams will continue to work closely with partners to minimise disruption wherever possible.”
The Birmingham Eastside Metro extension will run from Bull Street, in the city centre, to Digbeth, adding additional tram stops to the Metro network. More than half of the 1.7km route is planned to be free of overhead wires, similar to the extension from Grand Central to Centenary Square.
Photo credit: Transport for West Midlands
