Transport secretary Grant Shapps has approved plans for the delayed Eastside extension to the West Midland Metro tramway.

Shapps has given the green light to plans to extend the tramline 1.7km from Bull Street in Birmingham City Centre to a new terminus at High Street Deritend close to Birmingham city centre. The Eastside Extension is part of the £1.5bn package of extensions planned in the West Midlands, originally earmarked for completion in time for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

A government review of the plans submitted under the Transport and Works Act (TWA) concluded that the project will deliver “very high value for money” in benefits for the local areas. It ruled the extension would also bring regeneration to Digbeth and boost the economy with new homes and offices.

It said the extension, will also “assist in promoting sustainable transport modes, increase the choice given to people as to how they travel, assist in reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions, reduce congestion and would represent a significant investment in transport to serve the proposed High Speed 2 (HS2) station and areas of development”.

A Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) spokesperson said it recognised the "huge benefits the Birmingham Eastside Metro tram extension will deliver, including assisting the regeneration of Digbeth and attracting further investment and jobs as well as offering residents and businesses fast and efficient links to other parts of the region."

“With this approval TfWM is now looking forwarded to taking the Eastside Extension to the next stage of development.”

The Eastside Extension was set to be completed in time for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, but it was delayed in August after uncertainty surrounding the HS2 Curzon Street station. A new delivery schedule for the Eastside Extension is yet to be announced.

Some of the trams are served by battery, and, when opened in December, these were the first battery-operated trams in the UK.

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