West Midlands Metro is set to launch the first passenger tram services to Edgbaston this Sunday (17th July).
The opening of phase two of the Birmingham Westside Metro extension takes the line along Broad Street to Hagley Road adding three stops along the way at Brindleyplace, Five Ways and the end of the line at Edgbaston Village.
Trams will also be calling at all stops in Birmingham city centre including Grand Central, restoring the convenient link to regional and national rail services and Library.
Launched in time for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the extension will offer the many visitors arriving in the city over the next few weeks a convenient and frequent service to the many hotels, hospitality businesses and entertainment venues in the area.
Sophie Allison, Interim Managing Director of network operator, Midland Metro Limited, commented: “As we reach this significant milestone for the network, the Metro team would like to welcome customers back to the city centre stops whilst bringing tram services to Edgbaston for the first time.
“We would also like to thank customers for their patience as they awaited the return of trams to Grand Central and Library following the restoration of services between Wolverhampton and Bull Street a few weeks ago.
“This was made possible with the return to service of a number of trams following successful body panel replacement work. As this programme of work accelerates, even more trams will be re-joining the fleet, enabling us to increase service frequency across the network.”
From Sunday, trams will run every 12 to 15 minutes across the expanded system, with peak time frequency to increase as more trams become available for service following repair. Timetables and fare information is available
here.
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and Safer Travel police officers will also be out on Broad Street to assist and advise people on road safety during the first weekend of tram operation next Friday and Saturday evenings (July 22 and 23), while teams from Metro will also be around throughout the week to support passengers using the service.
The Westside extension development has been led by TfWM, part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), working with construction and design partner Midland Metro Alliance, operator Midland Metro Ltd and Birmingham City Council.
The new extension will support local businesses, vastly improving connectivity to the wider region, and Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair, Cllr Ian Ward, WMCA portfolio holder for transport and leader of Birmingham City Council and local business leaders have all welcomed this weekend’s launch. To read more,