How far have West Midlands tram extensions got to?

The Eastside extension will eventually reach Birmingham City FC's planned new stadium

Another phase in the West Midlands Metro tram extension is expected to be completed before Christmas.

Work between Corporation Street and a temporary terminus at the Clayton Hotel at Millennium Point, as part of the Eastside extension, is almost complete, Midland Metro Alliance said.

The Eastside extension will eventually reach Birmingham City FC's planned 60,000 seat stadium and serve the HS2 station at Curzon Street.

Construction work to join the Millennium Point stop to Digbeth is partially finished, but the scheme is relying on additional high-speed rail work to be completed before further Metro tram work can be carried out.

Further expansion of the network across the West Midlands is planned

Where do the trams operate?

The network currently links Wolverhampton to central Birmingham and Edgbaston with trams operating every six to eight minutes at peak times.

Construction work is under way on two extensions routes from Wednesbury to Merry Hill Shopping Centre, via Dudley town centre, and the Birmingham Eastside extension to High Street, Deritend in Digbeth.

The work is being delivered by the Midland Metro Alliance on behalf of the West Midlands Combined Authority and Transport for West Midlands.

After reaching Merry Hill Shopping Centre, it is hoped a further stop can be added to reach Brierley Hill High Street.

Trams were first tested on the Eastside extension in August

Why is the work being done?

The tram system has been built to improve transport services for West Midlands residents, help "unlock investment" and boost growth across the region, officials said.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said the extension to East Birmingham and Solihull was "crucial to unlocking the £3bn private sector investment in our new Sports Quarter, which in turn will create huge opportunities for communities that have been held back for too long".

He added: "It's about more than just transport, it's about connecting people to the businesses and education opportunities that will drive our region forward."

The first Wolverhampton to Birmingham trams start operating in 1999

How much is it going to cost?

Despite all the work that has been carried out, some projects have faced delays.

In April 2024 a report sent to the BBC in response to a Freedom of Information request stated expanding the tram network carried an "enormous cost" that may prove difficult to meet.

In 2023, the Express and Star newspaper reported the cost of linking Wednesbury to Brierley Hill had increased by 45%, from £449m to £650m.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves committed extra funding to the project in her October budget last year.

In Birmingham, the budget for the Eastside extension had risen from £227m in 2020 to £245m in 2024.

The further extension of that line out to Solihull had been forecast to cost about £700m, with that figure expected to rise if the plans went ahead.

The work to link Dudley to the Metro route into Wolverhampton and Birmingham started in 2020, but has not yet been completed, leading to some criticism from residents.

A tram route to the Sports Quarter would serve Millennium Point, Birmingham City University, the Curzon Street HS2 station and Digbeth

How long will the projects take ?

The Wolverhampton to Birmingham Snow Hill line was completed in 1999, mostly following a disused railway line, which was the first route to be built. Further stops in both cities have been added since.

Construction for the first phase of the scheme to reach Centenary Square in Birmingham was completed ahead of schedule, opening to passengers in December 2019 with trams reaching Edgbaston ahead of the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

An extension in Wolverhampton began taking passengers at the railway station in 2023, enabling people to use bus, rail, and metro services at one consolidated commuter hub as part of the Wolverhampton Interchange scheme.

Construction work from Wednesbury to Dudley town centre, which started in 2021, is nearing completion and expected to start taking passengers "as early as possible in 2026".

Work has started on phase two from Dudley to Merry Hill, although there is no confirmed date yet of when it will begin operating.

The Birmingham Eastside extension to Millennium Point is expected to start taking passengers in the coming weeks after driving training and timetable testing is complete.

West Midlands mayor Richard Parker has pledged £400m towards a further extension from Digbeth to Birmingham City's new stadium - the Sports Quarter - which will include a new tram line and provision for an eventual route through Chelmsley Wood to Birmingham Airport.

Expanding the network across the West Midlands will unlock growth, mayor Richard Parker has said