Birmingham city centre trams run for first time in 60 years

The first step in the £128 million extension programme, which started in 2012, will see Midland Metro run on a second line through the city centre between Bull Street to New Street station.

Passenger services are operational from today, but the entire 0.7 mile extension will not open in one go in order to minimise disruption to the Christmas trading period.

The entire project was due to be completed during 2015, but issues surrounding the construction of John Lewis and the Grand Central shopping centre have delayed completion.

The route, along Bull Street, Corporation Street and Stephenson Street, will see trams in the city centre for the first time since 1953.

The extension is being part-funded by £75.4m from the Department for Transport, which gave its backing in 2012.

The Snow Hill to New Street extension includes a £40m fleet of new trams and is expected to create more than 1,300 jobs, adding £50m a year to the regional economy. Work has also begun on extending the route from New Street station to Centenary Square with services expected to start running in 2019.

Mark Langford, press officer for Centro, said: "This is great news not just for Birmingham but for the wider region.

"The Midland Metro primarily runs through the Black Country region but with this first phase of Birmingham city centre now completed, we can look forward to the future work and tramlines that will be created, including new Brierley Hill and Wednesbury lines."

Centro's chief executive Geoff Inskip has praised the work and effort that has gone into the completion of the first phase. He said: "There has been a tremendous effort from everyone involved in this project, with people working around the clock in recent weeks.

"We recognise this is a vital time of year for retailers, which is why we have scaled back our works. Doing so shows Birmingham is very much open for business."