Birmingham's Tram Network - West Midlands Metro | An introduction

In this video, I head to Birmingham to have a look at their tram system, the West Midlands Metro. The system opened in 1999, and runs between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, with a number of extensions soon to open!
I look briefly at the history, the system, it's rolling stock and it's future!
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MUSIC
Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound:

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[peterwilliamallen]

Since you did this video, now in 2024 the tram now has been extended up Broad Street to Five Ways Edgbaston now called Edgbaston Villiage and from St Georges in Wolverhampton to Wolverhampton Railway Sttion. They are also extending the tram from the Bilston Area to Dudley and later to Merry Hill and from Corporation Street in Birmingham City Centre out to Digbeth via the new HS2 station

[tecmow]

Well researched vid and enjoyable to watch. I live in Birmingham and I haven’t even used the tram 😆. I try to use public transport as much as I can but the tram rarely features as a useful way to get to places I need to go between.

[chrisamies]

When I moved out of Birmingham in 2015 they were just putting the trams through the city centre. Seems to be a lot more of it now. The railway stations at Kings Heath and Moseley are gong to be reopened some time in the next few years (hopefully) which will give people even more options as well as the Cross Country line through Selly Oak etc. So presumably the trams won't be going to South Birmingham as well.

[caroot]

You must’ve had this footage from a while back cause I havnt seen the trams running in a month!

[jaxxywaxxy]

The way you pronounced Brierley Hill infuriates me but but nice vid bro

[davidbull]

Good video. One slight correction: the line was diverted to Bull Street at the end of 2015 but then it was extended to Grand Central in 2016 (and St. Chad's was opened then too)

[malcolmgeorge]

I actually prefer the old fleet, has comfortable seats, and never been cracks and taken out of service like CAFs today

[Evemeister]

I always wonder why UK cities don't invest in trolleybuses more often. They don't need as much infrastructural support i.e they don't need rails like trams do. They're environmentally friendly, cheaper that trams, and they have the flexibility of road use that trams don't.

Don't get me wrong, I think trams are lovely. But trolleybuses offer a more practical solution on all fronts.