Trams will run passengers to and from Millennium Point in Birmingham from this autumn – a key step on the planned Metro extension out to Birmingham City FC’s forthcoming 60,000 seater stadium.
West Midlands Combined Authority announced this after successful overnight track tests took place this week.
Between now and then, late night tram runs will take place as Midland Metro Alliance engineers fully test the line and fine-tune the track ready for the route to be handed over to West Midlands Metro for driver training and timetable testing.
This first phase of the Eastside extension includes two stops offering passengers easy access to key destinations including Moor Street Station, Millennium Point and Birmingham City University campus. Work continues to take the extension to Digbeth Coach Station.
This will offer a direct tram link for the almost 400,000 bus passengers a week who use services at the busy Moor Street bus interchange – forming “part of an integrated transport system,” WMCA said.
Unlocking £3bn of private sector investment
Mayor Richard Parker has allocated £400m to build the tram extension to the new stadium and surrounding Sports Quarter regeneration scheme, as well as to plan and design the full East Birmingham and Solihull extension out to Birmingham Airport and HS2 Interchange.
He said: “Our plan to extend the Metro network to East Birmingham and Solihull is crucial to unlocking the £3 billion private sector investment in our new Sports Quarter, which in turn will create huge opportunities for communities that have been held back for too long.”
The extension is being developed by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), and designed and built by the Midland Metro Alliance. Services will be operated by West Midlands Metro, which is owned by the WMCA.
