Edgbaston (Westside) extension

[Stu]

Birmingham Mail has some CGI images of how the extension to Edgbaston Five Ways will look:
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/how-new-tram-edgbaston-look-13560219#ICID=nsm

Preliminary ground works are already underway, which has seen the removals of both the Iron Man from Victoria Square, and the Boulton/Watt/Murdoch statue from Broad Street, and the extension should be up and running by 2021.

[Stevo]

I thought they were building the extension to Centenary Square first, with Edgbaston later. This seems to say it will all be done in one go.

[Steve3229vp]

Birmingham Mail has some CGI images of how the extension to Edgbaston Five Ways will look:
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/how-new-tram-edgbaston-look-13560219#ICID=nsm

Preliminary ground works are already underway, which has seen the removals of both the Iron Man from Victoria Square, and the Boulton/Watt/Murdoch statue from Broad Street, and the extension should be up and running by 2021.

When the Metro starts using Broad Street, will buses still be using it ?

[mark114]

Sadly another waste of money when you have got buses that run down that route

[Tony]

Sadly another waste of money when you have got buses that run down that route

Not many buses from Broad Street to Handsworth, Bilston or Wednesbury

[Stevo]

Track now down in Paradise Street alongside the Town Hall.

[Westy]

Here's a question?

I seem to recall there was various extensions mentioned, besides the Merry Hill / Dudley & Five Ways, there was one to Digbeth as well.

When these extensions are up & running, could you do theoretically do the following journeys without changing trams, or would you need to change trams on route somewhere?

Merry Hill to Digbeth.

Merry Hill to Wolves

Merry Hill to Five Ways

Wolves to Digbeth

[Tiptonian]

Not many buses from Broad Street to Handsworth, Bilston or Wednesbury

Will the extra revenue justify spending (initially) £169m? If someone had proposed extending the 74 to the Monument Road area increasing the PVR by three or four, it would probably have been deemed nonviable. Yes, the tram will not suffer congestion at Five Ways, but can the same be said for all the buses from all the other destinations which will have to wait at the traffic lights as the tram sails nonchalantly through?

[Ginger66]

Will the extra revenue justify spending (initially) £169m? If someone had proposed extending the 74 to the Monument Road area increasing the PVR by three or four, it would probably have been deemed nonviable. Yes, the tram will not suffer congestion at Five Ways, but can the same be said for all the buses from all the other destinations which will have to wait at the traffic lights as the tram sails nonchalantly through?

Five ways is choker on week nights so can see trams having a slight delay

[Busboy105]

Update on the Edgbaston extension:
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/look-west-midlands-metro-tram-17817720
Looking good so far.

[ellspurs]

Update on the Edgbaston extension:
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/look-west-midlands-metro-tram-17817720
Looking good so far.

Yea, I passed over it last Saturday on my way to Merry Hill from the Bull Ring, and it was a lot further along than what I thought it would be.

I am also going to (rarely) praise the detail in the Birmingham Mail article. Normally they only go into that much detail if it's a sponsored post.

[Busboy105]

https://www.tfwm.org.uk/news/birmingham-westside-metro-extension-achieves-major-milestone-with-biggest-concrete-pour/
This is interesting. Could this mean that the extension could be finished ahead of schedule like the Grand Central-Centenary Square extension?

[WyreForestShuttle]

https://www.tfwm.org.uk/news/birmingham-westside-metro-extension-achieves-major-milestone-with-biggest-concrete-pour/
This is interesting. Could this mean that the extension could be finished ahead of schedule like the Grand Central-Centenary Square extension?

I think it highly unlikely the extension would open ahead of schedule. The railway inspectorate inspections and signing off always take the time at the end of a project. Most regulatory bodies have been badly hid by Covid-19 & although a very positive & well written article from TfWM lets not forget The Mayor spins better than Wonder Woman just without the gold , blue & red leather costume.

[Busboy105]

I think it highly unlikely the extension would open ahead of schedule. The railway inspectorate inspections and signing off always take the time at the end of a project. Most regulatory bodies have been badly hid by Covid-19 & although a very positive & well written article from TfWM lets not forget The Mayor spins better than Wonder Woman just without the gold , blue & red leather costume.

Ok. I don't get the Wonder Woman analogy though.

[WyreForestShuttle]

Ok. I don't get the Wonder Woman analogy though.

Articles such as the one quoted for elected politicians are normally drafted by "spin-doctors" . They are constructed to make the politician  involved to be seen in the most positive light. The press release as thus spun. Lynda Carter has to spin round to turn into Wonder Woman conversely Andy Street needs spin to be The Wonder Mayor of The West Midlands Combined Authority just a play on words. In my long career I have yet to ever see a politician pass a mirror without looking in it!