Changes to bus services due to Metro work
Bus passengers are being reminded of changes to some services in Birmingham city centre as works to extend the Metro to the Eastside of the city enters the next stage.
From Sunday, April 7 some bus routes that currently serve Birmingham city centre will be diverted. This is to allow the Midland Metro Alliance, working on behalf of Transport for West Midlands, to extend track laid in nearby Lower Bull Street, through Albert Street.
This next phase of the Birmingham Eastside Metro extension will also see a temporary tram stop installed outside the Clayton Hotel, allowing passengers to use this section of the route as early as 2025-2026.
The construction activity is expected to be completed later in the autumn. Further information and updates on changes to bus services and stopping locations will be available on the dedicated Transport for West Midlands webpage throughout the works.
Anne Shaw, executive director of TfWM, said: “The expansion of the Metro to the east of the city is an exciting scheme which will help transform and support the regeneration of Digbeth by improving connectivity and making the most out of HS2. While there will inevitably be some disruption as work starts on Moor Street Queensway later this spring we are working with the council and bus operators to ensure that this is kept to minimum. Public transport remains the best way to travel into and through Birmingham city centre while the work takes place. So we strongly urge people to plan ahead and check our social media channels and website for the latest information before setting out.”
Nearby Albert Street will also be closed to vehicular traffic during the works and the taxi ranks in the area will temporarily relocate to Corporation Street, opposite the Square Peg.
The alliance will be working closely with partners at Birmingham City Council, TfWM and local bus operators to minimise disruption as much as possible. Toolkits have also been made available and can be accessed by emailing Behavoiurchangehub@tfwm.org.uk
Maria Ion, Project Director, said: “There will be some unavoidable changes to bus stop locations, however, we will be working hard to ensure that disruption is kept to a minimum during the works. Moor Street Queensway will remain open, with one lane of traffic in each direction, at all times, to help keep the network moving.”
The Birmingham Eastside Metro extension will run from Bull Street, in the city centre, to Digbeth, adding additional tram stops to the Metro network as well as a new bus interchange in the Moor Street area. More than half of the 1.7km route is planned to be free of overhead wires, similar to elements of the extensions from Grand Central to Edgbaston Village.
