Birmingham tram extension welcomes first passengers

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[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

New tram extension welcomes first passengers

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The Metro tram service now runs to Millennium Point

A new Metro tram extension has opened to passengers for the first time in the West Midlands.

The extension to Millennium Point links up the area with other parts of Birmingham city centre and Wolverhampton.

Despite delays on Sunday morning, caused by an abandoned car on the tracks at St Chad, services resumed between Wolverhampton and Millennium Point at about 10:00 BST.

As part of the extension, the service now branches off from Corporation Street and stops at Albert Street before travelling on to Millennium Point. Services on the new section are expected to run every 15 minutes, with some existing trams diverted to serve the additional stops.

The extended service is set to provide easier access to destinations including Millennium Point, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum, Birmingham City University and Moor Street Station.

Transport officials said the new Albert Street stop would also improve connections for thousands of passengers using the nearby bus interchange.

The route is part of a wider programme to expand the Metro tram network further east, with work already started to extend the line to Digbeth.

Longer term plans include routes towards a proposed new stadium for Birmingham City FC^▸ (First Class, or Fat Controller, or Football Club, depending on context) and connections to Birmingham Airport.