A major milestone for the Birmingham Westside Metro extension was achieved on Sunday 20 September as tracks laid last year in Centenary Square were successfully welded to brand-new rail installed in Broad Street.
The activity is part of phase two of the light rail construction project underway in the city centre and means that more than 950 metres of double track are now installed in various locations between Broad Street and Five Ways heading towards Edgbaston Village with only 120m of track yet to be put in place on Broad Street between Gas and Berkley Street junctions.
Later this week another step towards completion will be achieved as concrete will be poured in this area on Thursday 24 September encasing the track in its final position. In addition to the small section between Gas and Berkley Street, there is another short section of track to be laid at the terminus on Hagley Road.
When the route opens in 2021, three new tram stops, connecting passengers to Brindleyplace, Five Ways and Hagley Road, will follow from the current Library terminus, which opened for passenger service ahead of schedule in December 2019.
West Midlands Metro services will then operate between Wolverhampton and Hagley Road in Edgbaston Village.
Source: TFWM