£18m temporary Metro stop planned for Birmingham’s Eastside

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is set to approve a £18m increase to the £227m Metro budget, to add a temporary terminus and stop.

Construction has been delayed at Curzon Street Station until 2026, as transport chiefs wait for HS2 to hand over the site.

A temporary terminus and stop will be set up next to Moor Street Queensway by 2025/26, to speed up tram services to the east of Birmingham city centre.

This stop will provide smooth connections between tram, train, and bus services at Moor Street Station and the Bus Mall, serving Birmingham City University and Millennium Point.

The project, managed by the Midland Metro Alliance for Transport for West Midlands, aims to better connect Eastside Birmingham to the wider region.

The works will include a temporary stop outside the Clayton Hotel and infrastructure to allow trams to switch tracks at the terminus.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA said: “Despite ongoing HS2 works at Curzon Street hampering our ability to finish the full Eastside extension until Metro can get on-site at Curzon Street, I tasked transport officials with finding a way to get trams running sooner.

“That’s why I’m delighted we’ve found an innovative solution to part-opening the Eastside metro extension – with this stop at the Clayton Hotel enabling local people and businesses to start benefitting sooner. This approach means trams will be running here in 2025/2026. Having recently opened the Wolverhampton city centre extension, we know just how popular these schemes are with the public – offering seamless connections to rail and bus services just as this extension will provide at Moor Street.

“As frustrating as the short-term hurdles can be, it’s important to remember over the longer term what the final prize is – a vastly improved public transport system which will serve local people and businesses for many years ahead.”

Cllr Liz Clements, cabinet member for transport at Birmingham City Council, said: “Although the delay to the Eastside extension due to HS2 works is frustrating, this plan for a temporary terminus will allow people to make easy transfers from rail to bus and metro by the Clayton Hotel.

“Completing the full Eastside extension to High St Deritend remains a top priority for Birmingham; at Birmingham City Council we won’t stop campaigning until the whole scheme is delivered. To reverse the reliance on private cars and encourage more people onto public transport, we need a fully integrated transport system – Birmingham Eastside extension is a vital part of that system.”