This November Balfour Beatty laid the first tracks of the Midland Metro Extension; the milestone event was marked by a press call at The Priory Rooms Meeting and Conference Centre.

The Priory Rooms were thrilled to be apart of the landmark occasion for Balfour Beatty and Midland Metro. Birmingham’s media and councilors were invited to The Priory Rooms to meet the Balfour Beatty project director and his team. Guests watched the computer generated presentation of the metro extension as Balfour Beatty updated them on the latest developments.

Then it was hard hats and hi-vis jackets at the ready as everyone went on-site to watch the first piece of track being laid! The track was placed at Colmore Gate in Bull Street, right outside The Priory Rooms, where a tram stop is planned to be stationed. The major milestone came on the 60th anniversary of the last tram running in Birmingham and showcased the progress the project is making.

The current extension is scheduled to be complete in 2015 and will run from Snow Hill Station through Bull Street, Corporation Street and Stephenson Street and terminate at New Street Station. With support for the project high, consultations to extend the project as far as Wolverhampton city centre are already taking place!

The group returned back to The Priory Rooms where Balfour Beatty spoke about the achievement, notably John Daft, Balfour Beatty Project Director, thanked the local business community for their support and reassured them that “despite the complexity of the construction works and the highly confined space we have to operate in, the works are progressing at an excellent pace.”

Councilor Roger Horton, Centro lead member for rail, highlighted the positive change expected to Birmingham’s future, “These first tracks are another sign of the progress the scheme is making and people can see that the return of trams, with all the economic benefits they will bring, is much closer.” It is estimated the Midland Metro extension will create more than 1,300 new jobs and boost the local economy by more than £50 million a year.

More information about the Midland Metro Extension can be found on the Centro website http://www.centro.org.uk/metro/CityCentreExtension.aspx.

The Priory Rooms’ nine flexible meeting and conference rooms offer the ideal city centre location for a press call. To make an enquiry contact the Bookings Team on 0121 236 2317 or email enquiries@theprioryrooms.co.uk

Photograph: Cllr Roger Horton, Centro lead for Rail (left), with Steve Davies,Balfour Beatty Midlands Managing Director (right) tightening the bolts on the first track to be laid on the Midland Metro extension. _