The Birmingham Midland Metro opened on 31 May 1999 and is the first of a planned 3-line-network of a modern metro-tram, i.e. similar to a German Stadtbahn it runs partly on streets. Line 1 is 20.4 km long and starts at Snow Hill Station in the centre of Birmingham and uses an old railway alignment for about 18 km through Wednesbury and West Bromwich towards Wolverhampton. The final 2.4 km after Priestfield Station in this city are along Bilston Road where it shares its right-of-way with car traffic up to its Wolverhampton terminus at St. George's. All along the line there are 23 stops with 30 cm high platforms which provides stepless access to the low-floor vehicles. Stations are equipped with ticket vending machines.

31 May 1999 - Birmingham, Snow Hill - Wolverhampton, St. Georges

 Projects

A second route is planned to run from Wednesbury to Merry Hill shopping centre and further to Brierley Hill in southwestern Birmingham (11.7 km - 15 stops). In the city centre an extension will be built with on-street running to New Street (main railway station), Broad Street and Five Ways (3.2 km).

Network West Midlands (Official Website)

The Metro (West Midlands Travel Limited - Official Website)

Centro (West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive and Authority)

Midland Metro on TheTrams.co.uk by Peter Courtenay

Robert Schwandl: METROS IN BRITAIN. Underground & Light Rail Networks in the U.K. - March 2006, ISBN 3936573123 More info

J. Boynton: MAIN LINE TO METRO. - May 2001, Mid England Books, ISBN 0952224895