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Metro- lack of progress

Heartland

master brummie
Following on from the problems with getting the West Midlands Metro trams repaired, whilst the trams now seem to be in operations, barring traffic light failures at the Royal, there are now days of industrial action. Whilst most staff, if not all, are trained to drive the trams and a part service is still provided as far as Bull Street (on strike days), the section through to Edgbaston Village is not running and this part of the metro line must have a regretful record of having the least number of trams for 2022!
 
Birmingham's Metro is a failure it seems when compared with other European cites. It has few trams which cannot make their mind up whether a it is a tram system or a Metro. Usually they are separate systems with different stock even if operated by the same people.
The tram system in most places in the UK, except Blackpool, is at a disadvantage having swept away their systems in favour of cars.
 
Today's delays on the Metro in Birmingham were down to an "operational incident" whatever that means. Those that drive the trams in the city perhaps deserve a medal at the moment as they operate along the tracks where Deliveroo and other food carriers' bikes operate, the electric scooter user and a few pedestrians who fall out of the German Market, either oblivious to, or uncaring of, the dangers they face when they step into the path of a tram
 
Birmingham's Metro is a failure it seems when compared with other European cites. It has few trams which cannot make their mind up whether a it is a tram system or a Metro. Usually they are separate systems with different stock even if operated by the same people.
The tram system in most places in the UK, except Blackpool, is at a disadvantage having swept away their systems in favour of cars.
Even Blackpool 'swept away' the trams other than the sea front ones, and the 'interurban' to Fleetwood. Their catchment was tourism, and when eventually the system was almost completely worn out they only managed to get renewal funding via the EU if they modernised completely, with a new fleet of trams as well. There are a few historic ones remaining for the visitors (many EU systems have historic cars to use on special occasions too) but in the main it is a modern street-running railway.
 
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