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Metro Extension to Centenary Square and beyond

Heartland

Heartland

master brummie
Track laying is nearing completion on the section of the metro from Pinfold Street to Centenary Square as the finishing touches are made at the top of the difficult part at the top of Pinfold Street and the contractors move on to finish the new terminus at Centenary Square. It is expected that this part of the Metro will be open in December. Making the the trip to Centenary Square will be a lot easier, as the current pedestrian route is rather circuitous and narrow.

Modern Railways for September 12th, has reported the test of a tram on the lower part of Pinfold Street using the batteries for power. This test at night was to test the gauge.

PinfoldSt.jpeg
 
I have just been told by a friend that the City Hop fare between Jewellery Quarter and Centenary Square has been increased to £1.50 for those who do not have a WMCA bus pass
 
This extension has now been in operation for some time, but the track beyond to Five Ways also seems to be laid throughout. Is there any indication of an opening date?
 
Does anyone have any video links of the journey please for those of us who no longer live in Brum ? Viv.
 
Can anyone tell me what is the position with Broad St now? Are all vehicles still excluded?
 
DavidGrain said:
I am adding this recent video for information as it explains the whole of the plans for the tram extensions. You have to excuse this guy's pronounciations of place names.
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Interesting. Is it on time? Where can I see that map of Andy Streets plan for the West Midlands?

Bob
 
Thanks for the video in post #10 David. Thoroughly enjoyed the journey. Some people seem to have no regard for an oncoming tram ! Viv.
 
In answer to questions from MikeGee and Bob Davis.

I have not been into Broad Street for nearly two years for obvious reasons. Every time I went into Birmingham city centre, I regarded it as a Magical Mystery Tour as the bus seemed to take a different route each time. The only open stretch of Broad Street that I was aware of was, was from Five Ways to Ryland Street. Buses out of the city missed Broad Street altogether coming out on Friston Avenue on to Ladywood Middleway.

I have not heard anything to contradict the original estimate that the line to Five Ways will open 'later this year'.

The terminus of the line will be at a newly made up name 'Edgbaston Village' which is outside the Middle Ring Road so presumably will not be covered by the 'City Hop' fare. Edgbaston Village is a Calthorpe Estates marketing name for the area between Hagley Road and Harborne Road and is no way a village in any accepted meaning of the word.
 
On a visit to home a few years ago, just after Grand Central opened we went the full route, a sparsely used service, came back by train.....standing of course.
Bob
 
It could be because the Metro has been mainly a hidden asset running in railway cuttings and only seen by the public at each end of its route. Until the Metro got onto the city streets there were even people in Birmingham who did not know that we had had trams since 1999.
 
Yes I thought that too David. That video you posted certainly gives that impression. It wasn’t until the St Chads stop in the video that I started to get a sense of emerging from lots of cuttings. Viv.
 
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I read on Facebook that the "trams" are closed for three months for the tracks to be replaced. They cannot be serious!
 
DavidGrain said:
Yes the next tram from Bull Street to Library will be ...........October. Even this weekend they have not been coming closer than the St Chad's Stop.

Service Status & Planned Works - West Midlands Metro

See the latest service information and updates from West Midlands Metro, including planned works in the future.
westmidlandsmetro.com westmidlandsmetro.com
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Worse still with Corporation St closed the Council didn't inform the businesses affected. The owner of the Tilt bar turned up this morning and realised there's no way deliveries can get to his property and neither can the emergency services! Only in Birmingham can a business battle to survive Covid then have this dropped upon them. After hasty phone calls an emergency meeting has been arranged I am told!Screenshot_2021-07-25-21-45-02-451_com.facebook.katana.jpg
 
As I understand it, it is the corporation street section that has to be relaid. Mind you , they did tarmac them over for quite a while and had to dig them out, so not really surprised.
For those interested here is "busy" Broad St complete with tram rails coming up to the tunnel from above taken on saturday at about 2.00 -scarcely bustling. They seem to have finished the tunnel bit and starting on the bit just past it

end Broad St from aboveB.jpg
 
mikejee said:
As I understand it, it is the corporation street section that has to be relaid. Mind you , they did tarmac them over for quite a while and had to dig them out, so not really surprised.
For those interested here is "busy" Broad St complete with tram rails coming up to the tunnel from above taken on saturday at about 2.00 -scarcely bustling. They seem to have finished the tunnel bit and starting on the bit just past it

View attachment 159519
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New crossover being laid at the Bull St end for the Digbeth extension and trams couldn't go beyond there for some time so replacing the stretch of rails from there to Grand Central. Guess it's cheap French steel rails being replaced with real metal lol!
 
thanks for that photo of broad st mike...once bustling and busy with people now a ghost town at 2 pm on a saturday afternoon...what on earth is happening to our city...

lyn
 
I understand that the fault was a result of the extra weight of the retro fitting of the batteries. However we have known for years that batteries would have to be fitted for Pinfold Street and Victoria Square so this should have been tested out long ago.
 
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