First section of rail installed in Lower Bull Street for Birmingham Eastside Metro extension

Construction for the Metro extension, that will see the line further expanded to the Eastside of Birmingham city centre, has reached another milestone after the first section of track was installed on Lower Bull Street.

The Midland Metro Alliance, which is delivering the scheme on behalf of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), recently fixed a total of 130 metres of double track into place along Lower Bull Street as part of the eagerly-anticipated scheme. This swift progress in the project follows a successful concrete pour in December which formed the base for the track and sleepers to be installed.  

The team spent more than 330 hours successfully installing the first pieces of rail for the delta junction, which will allow trams to travel in six different directions between Digbeth, Edgbaston and the Black Country, with these works expected to continue over the coming months. It is not the first track milestone to be achieved for the project as it comes just four months after 45 metres of rail was installed at the junction of Meriden Street and Digbeth High Street in the autumn.

Michael Anderson, Metro Programme Director at TfWM, said: “This latest milestone highlights the progress the team at the MMA are making on the Birmingham Eastside Metro extension – one of the major projects we are delivering to enhance public transport and ensure more people across the West Midlands have an easy connection to the forthcoming HS2 Curzon Street station.”

Construction has been ongoing along Lower Bull Street since spades hit the ground in 2021 and this section of the project has seen significant progress with the start of works to demolish the Kings Parade building beginning in November 2022, urban realm improvements in time for the Commonwealth Games and the installation of a complex junction with the existing Metro route winning a major engineering award in October 2021.

The works in the Lower Bull Street and Dale End areas of the city centre have been running concurrently with the Metro activity along Digbeth High Street where urban realm improvements have recently been completed.

Maria Ion, Project Director at the Midland Metro Alliance, said: “The installation of track on Lower Bull Street is not only a great achievement but a pivotal moment for the project. A total of 80 metres of track has been installed along the Wolverhampton to Digbeth route, and 50 metres along the Edgbaston to Digbeth line. The team have worked hard to reach this milestone and I am delighted that those visiting the area can start to see significant progress being made. Work will be ongoing in both Lower Bull Street and Digbeth High Street throughout the year and we will continue to work closely with partners to minimise any disruption wherever possible.”

The Birmingham Eastside Metro extension will run from Bull Street, in the city centre, to Digbeth, adding four new 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.