Ambitious Birmingham City excited by metro milestone - and what it could mean for their new stadium plans
Birmingham City Football Club’s "mindblowing" plans took another step in the right direction with a test drive of a tram which will serve their new stadium.
Officials from the club joined West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, Blues supporters and transport officers on a short trip from the existing West Midlands Metro stop at Bull Street to Millennium Point, which is currently being completed.
The line will eventually be built to go through Digbeth and head out to Bordesley where Blues’ owner Knighthead is building a £3 billion Sports Quarter, which will include the 62,000-capacity Powerhouse Stadium.
The mayor has earmarked £400 million towards transport improvements to help support the development.
The completed metro line to the Sports Quarter is aimed to be completed in line with the new stadium in 2030.
The two-stop journey on Thursday (November 27) came just a week after the club unveiled its designs for the new stadium.
Mr Parker, club officials and supporters said they were delighted to celebrate this latest milestone towards turning the ambitious plans into a reality.
Birmingham City chief executive Jeremy Dale said: “[The journey is] only a couple of stops at the moment, but it’s a sign of clear progress and that the ambition that Tom Wagner and the Knighthead board have outlined is starting to become a reality.
“We unveiled the stadium last week and now the first two stops for the tram line have now been delivered.
“It’s a fabulous moment to showcase the stadium people said would never be built is already on track.
“One of the biggest challenges in our existing stadium is transport and traffic in and out of the ground and that’s with a 28,500-seater capacity stadium.
“The only way we could ever build a 62,000 stadium was if the transport links to that new site can be transformed.
“This tram and also the Adderley Park train station were fundamental for unlocking the Birmingham Powerhouse Stadium.
“We love the partnership, the commitment to build the tram link all the way out to the Sports Quarter and relocation of Adderley Park train station has been fundamentally important to us so we’re delighted with the support we’ve received.”
Blues season ticket holder Steve Poole, who is also branch leader for the Derbyshire Official Supporters Club, said: “It’s mindblowing. It’s beyond my comprehension this was going to happen.
“Five years ago, you wouldn’t have thought this was going to happen – there we are with half a ground closed so this is amazing.
“You saw the unveiling of the stadium last week so to come here today so quickly shows it’s on the move and things are happening.
“Tom [Wagner, owner] and the board are doing a wonderful job, not only for the Blues but the city of Birmingham. Birmingham is going to be buzzing in the next few years.
“Everybody is in love with Tom Wagner. He’s just given so much positivity to the supporters, the football club and the city and, whoever you support, to think this is happening in our city, it’s game-changing.”
Mr Parker said: “We’ve been here with the management team of the football club celebrating the fact the stadium’s designs have been announced and aligned to those is the investment we are making in the tram system.
“The football club were so keen we match their investment with this connectivity and I’m so pleased we’ve secured the funding to do that and we’re here celebrating the fact we are making great progress.
“I’m really pleased we’re working with the senior team at Knighthead capital and the football club jointly in lock-step to deliver the investment we want to make which is going to transform that part of Birmingham.”
