West Midlands Metro trams are to stop running along Broad Street for three weeks across the Easter holidays thanks to work to build a junction for a major new extension in the Black Country.
The short-term pain will lead to a long-term gain with the promise that by the end of the year the Wolverhampton to Birmingham line will also offer a direct link to Dudley, putting another 300,000 people within easy travelling distance of Westside’s multiple night-time economy attractions.
Broad Street’s bus and taxi routes will remain open throughout Easter to help keep holiday business flowing at major Westside destinations including the National Sea Life Centre, Legoland Discovery Centre, Symphony Hall, Birmingham Rep and numerous bars, restaurants and clubs.
Completing the new Dudley extension junction will mean trams from Wolverhampton that would normally turn back at Edgbaston Village won’t be able to run beyond Wednesbury for 18 days from 23 March to 9 April.
Additional bridge work associated with the extension will then see Broad Street services curtailed after 8pm on 26 days of the following 36-day period right up until mid-May.
A future phase two link, extending the new line still further from Dudley to Brierley Hill, has also been given the go ahead to bring even more potential customers towards Westside.
In Birmingham, work to build the Eastside extension from Corporation Street to High Street Deritend is ongoing at both ends – but the mid-section is dependent on work to build the new HS2 Station.
Once the mile-long Eastside track is complete from its mid-2027 target date onwards, Digbeth will then come within easy reach of Westside with trams turning from Lower Bull Street into Corporation Street via a complex ‘delta junction’ built in the summer of 2021 next to the Wetherspoon pub The Square Peg.
Most Birmingham schools break up for Easter on Friday, 22 March, with pupils returning to school on Monday, 8 April. This is what the disruption to tram services will mean and when.
Saturday 23 March to Monday 25 March
Trams will operate up to every ten minutes between Wolverhampton Station and Wednesbury Parkway only. There will be no services between Wednesbury Parkway and Edgbaston Village.
Tuesday 26 March to Tuesday 9 April
Trams will run up to every ten minutes from Wolverhampton Station to Wednesbury Great Western Street. Again, there will be no services between there and Edgbaston Village.
Wednesday 10 April to Thursday 16 May (days various)
After the 18-day shutdown, additional bridge works associated with the new Dudley extension will see services to Broad Street’s night time economy ending by 8pm on an additional 26 further days.
This means that from March 23 to May 16 inclusive, there will be a total of 44 days of partial or total disruption to schedules.
The bridge works will curtail services between Black Lake and Edgbaston Village from 8pm on the following dates:
- Wednesday 10 April to Thursday 11 April
- Sunday 14 April to Thursday 18 April
- Sunday 21 April to Thursday 25 April
- Sunday 28 April to Thursday 2 May
- Monday 6 May to Thursday 9 May and
- Sunday 12 May to Thursday 16 May
For further service details visit westmidlandsmetro.com or press the customer information button located on the platform shelter to speak to a member of the Metro team.
West Midlands Metro’s managing director Sophie Allison said: “We understand the impact that these essential works will have on our customers and appreciate their patience during this period of disruption. The temporary adjustments to services, which will begin at Easter, will take us a step closer to connecting more communities across the region with our enhanced network.”
