Construction activity, which will pave the way for the partial opening of the Birmingham Eastside Metro extension, is set to get underway in early spring.
Spades will hit the ground in Moor Street Queensway from April as works to extend the track laid in nearby Lower Bull Street, through Albert Street enters the next stage of delivery. Work for this highly-anticipated extension has progressed significantly in recent months with main construction activity in Lower Bull Street and Digbeth High Street now completed.
This next phase of works will see a temporary tram stop installed outside of the Clayton Hotel, allowing passengers to use this section of the route as early as 2025/26.
Anne Shaw, the Executive Director of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), said: “Announcing the next phase of the Birmingham Eastside Metro extension on Moor Street Queensway marks a pivotal step in the city’s wider regeneration. This project will both revitalize the eastside and provide an alternative sustainable transport option, with a temporary stop outside the Clayton Hotel. This early access will seamlessly connect passengers to the existing tram, train, and bus network at Moor Street Station, paving the way for a better-connected city.”
The construction activity, set to start on Sunday 7 April, will mean that some buses serving Birmingham city centre will be relocated to different stops in city centre area until works are completed later in the autumn. Passengers should check out the dedicated Transport for West Midlands webpage for any specific changes to their service and stopping locations. Nearby Albert Street will also be closed to vehicular traffic during the works.
The Midland Metro Alliance, which is designing and delivering the scheme on behalf of TfWM, will be working closely with partners at Birmingham City Council, TfWM and local bus operators to minimise disruption as much as possible.
Public transport customers are being advised to:
- Keep using your chosen modes of public transport;
- Encourage your friends, family and colleagues travelling in the area to use public transport, to help keep congestion on the network down;
- Plan ahead to understand how your journey may be affected in Birmingham city centre;
- Consider a change to how you travel – such retiming your journey during busy periods;
- Follow the @TransportForWM on social media for real time updates.
Maria Ion, Project Director, added: “Our teams will be doing all we can to keep disruption to a minimum while these works are underway. There will be some unavoidable changes to bus stop locations, however, Moor Street Queensway will remain open, with one lane of traffic in each direction, at all times. This is a key stage in the project and it’s important to remember the contribution this new route will make to improving the public transport system within the West Midlands.”
The Birmingham Eastside Metro extension will run from Bull Street, in the city centre, to Digbeth, adding additional tram stops to the Metro network as well as a new bus interchange in the Moor Street area. More than half of the 1.7km route is planned to be free of overhead wires, similar to elements of the extensions from Grand Central to Edgbaston Village.
