There were smiles all round on Westside after the tram extension along Birmingham’s golden mile of Broad Street was finally opened yesterday (Sunday).
The smiles were mixed with relief following lengthy delays to the launch of the Metro line that now sees trams carrying passengers all the way to Edgbaston.
Phase two of the Birmingham Westside Metro extension takes the line along Broad Street to Hagley Road, with three stops crucially being added at Brindleyplace, Five Ways and the end of the line at Edgbaston Village.
The most recent disruption and delays were caused by the discovery of cracked body panels on trams in March, leading to the suspension of the service’s opening date.
Hospitality businesses on Westside were quick to welcome the long-awaited launch of the Metro extension.
Sam Morgan, group chief executive of Craft Dining at the International Convention Centre, said: “Thank goodness for that. It has been a long time coming.
“Footfall has been really low and damaged the business from a financial point of view. But the tram extension is going to be key to ensure that people are going to return in numbers.”
And Alina Davies, duty manager of Brasshouse pub on Broad Street, said: “It’s really welcome news as it will definitely improve business because of increased footfall.
“The main issue was that fewer people were coming down here because they were more likely to stick to the city centre rather than walk 15 minutes here.”
Mike Olley, general manager of Westside BID, said: “Businesses in and around Broad Street and Brindleyplace have had to endure a great deal of pain and suffering due to delays and disruption.
“But hopefully the completion of the Westside Metro extension will now signal a change in fortune so we can all look forward to the future in a far more positive way.”
Launched in time for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the Metro extension will offer visitors to the city a convenient and frequent service to the many hotels, hospitality businesses and entertainment venues in the area.
Sophie Allison, temporary managing director of Midland Metro Limited, said: “This is a significant milestone for the network.
“The Metro team would like to welcome customers back to the city centre stops whilst bringing tram services to Edgbaston for the first time.
“We would also like to thank customers for their patience as they awaited the return of trams following the restoration of services a few weeks ago.
“This was made possible with the return to service of a number of trams following successful body panel replacement work.
“As this programme of work accelerates, even more trams will be re-joining the fleet, enabling us to increase service frequency across the network.”
Trams will run every 12 to 15 minutes across the expanded system, with peak time frequency to increase as more trams become available for service following repair.
