Member Article

Green light for £149m Birmingham to Edgbaston metro link expansion

The extension of a key tram route in Birmingham has been given the go-ahead with thanks to a £59.9m pledge from the Department for Transport.

Linking Birmingham city centre with Edgbaston and the city’s Westside area, the Midland Metro expansion will add five new stops along its 2km extension which is set to open in March 2021.

The eight-figure funding boost from the DfT joins the £84m already raised through the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), Birmingham City Council, Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership amongst others, to complete the £149m funding for the expansion project.

Preliminary groundworks for the project have already begun this summer, laying the groundwork for new stations at the Town Hall, Centenary Square, Brindley Place, and at 2 further stations either side of the Five Ways roundabout in Edgbaston.

Transport Minister, Paul Maynard, commented: “Midland Metro is already a success story, with passenger journeys up nearly a third this year compared to last year.

“This new extension will be a further boost to Birmingham businesses, and make travelling to work easier for commuters.

“But just as importantly, it will help ease the pressure on the roads as it will provide an alternative for getting in and out of the city centre. This is a vital project and one which we are delighted to be able to support.”