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Metro progress 2019

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ellbrown

ellbrown

ell brown on Flickr
The Metro Works Begins thread has vanished, and doesn't come up in a search so will post these here.

Tram tracks and paving on Pinfold Street seen on a wet Saturday afternoon between Victoria Square and New Street Station.



Those bars getting in the way of a decent shot.

 
Are some of the roads, such as Pinfold Street for trams only? It could appear that other road users are prohibited. The reason I am curious is that one of the reasons Birmingham's old tram system was abandoned was due to the trams causing obstruction to other road users and passengers not being able to board trams from the pavement edge.
 
Alan
If you go to Streetview for 2011, you will see that then it was a dead-end , before, seemingly used only for parking, so restricting it to trams is no real loss except to parkers
 
Astoness said:
hi ell did you post photos on the metro work begins thread??....horsencart removed all of his photos from that thread and if he was the only one posting photos on it then yes the thread would have been deleted as it would have served no purpose..this is a bit of a mystery at the min as i think i started that thread when the last buses were going down corporation st and i know i took some photos...leave it with us we will try and sort it out

lyn
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Yes I used to use that. Has Horsencart deleted that thread? An admin?
 
That has been the dtory for the entire time since it has been extended from Snow ~Hill. It has not helped when twice, rails have been laid, then tarmacked over and then having to be cleaned out and in some cases replaced
 
It took 3 years to lay 3/4 mile of track from Snow Hill to New Street. How long to reach the airport?
 
The Victorians built the railways at the average rate of 270 miles a year EVERY year for 64 years! That included having to build a few viaducts on the way.
Lumpammer said:
It took 3 years to lay 3/4 mile of track from Snow Hill to New Street. How long to reach the airport?
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devonjim said:
Is it just me or is this project taking an inordinate time to complete? Network rail seem to carry out complex work on the railways over a weekend. This tramway goes on for ever.
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Yes it does seem a long time but there is a difference between relaying track on an existing railway and laying down a new tramway where you have to dig down below the existing foundations of the road to find all the services many of which have not been mapped. Also you do not know what you will find like the old road that was found under Victoria Square which the archaeologists had to check out.

Birmingham is not alone in this. I understand that the tram extension in Blackpool has come to a stop at the front door of a Wilko store which should have been demolished but Wilko have refused to move out as building has not yet started on the replacement store that the council promised them.
 
Trying to walk up to see more of the Jamaica 0121 Festival on Saturday afternoon up Pinfold Street, but near Victoria Square House beyond the post office it was blocked off, so had to go back down towards Stephenson Street.

 
Secret Garden view of the Centenary Square tracks. Saturday afternoon view from the Library of Birmingham. Looks like a section of tracks not yet been installed near the cross point tracks.

 
Shelter of Town Hall Tram Stop from Victoria Square. Couldn't get a view from the temporary fences, so went up the new steps around the Queen Victoria statue for these. Shelter on Paradise Street.



 
If you want to walk up Paradise Street and down Suffolk Street Queensway you can't. Top of Paradise Street near Victoria Square is a Footpath closed sign (this is near the site of Town Hall Tram Stop).



Headed down Hill Street and up Swallow Street, and the same situation at the top of Suffolk Street Queensway.



At least most of the tracks are now laid.

Diversion down to the Mailbox and Gas Street Basin, or up Holliday Street and Bridge Street, then back through Centenary Square to Victoria Square (through the Edmund Street and Eden Place pedestrian diversion).
 
A few shots of the line between Stephenson Street and Paradise Street after the overnight tram test, but barriers back on certain sections.

Stephenson Street - the new tracks connected to the existing tracks.



Pinfold Street - I think only access for the Post Office. Retail units on the right I'm not sure.



Town Hall Tram Stop on Paradise Street from Victoria Square.



I think only one tram stop shelter looks done on the left.

 
The first tram to Victoria Square ran on test in the early hours of 30th August and all went well. Reported that the project is still on course to open to Victoria Square in October and Centenary Square in December
 
This thread reminds me of Fletcher and Godber, residents of Slade Prison. Fletcher found out that Godber had a 'O' level in Geography. As Godber was from Smethwick it was said that he needed the qualification to find his way around Brum. ;)
 
Eric Gibson said:
Just a thought, do pensioner's bus passes work on the Metro?
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No, not if it is issued in Devon, but I believe so for a Midlander or are you like Londoners and have a special all forms of transport free pass. I know because my journey to Wolverhampton for four of us cost me over £16.00

Bob
 
Eric Gibson said:
Just a thought, do pensioner's bus passes work on the Metro?
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Only West Midlands passes. This is because this is funded by WMCA not the government.
It is confusing because there are different rules for the different tram systems throughout the country. I can use my pass on Sheffield trams but not Nottingham trams which accept only Nottingham City Council and Nottingham County Council passes (but at different times of day!!).
 
DavidGrain said:
Only West Midlands passes. This is because this is funded by WMCA not the government.
It is confusing because there are different rules for the different tram systems throughout the country. I can use my pass on Sheffield trams but not Nottingham trams which accept only Nottingham City Council and Nottingham County Council passes (but at different times of day!!).
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WMCA is not Brums reply to YMCA is it, West Midlands C??? A???

Bob
 
Bob Davis said:
WMCA is not Brums reply to YMCA is it, West Midlands C??? A???

Bob
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West Midlands Combined Authority. Just think back many years to the West Midlands County Council (1974 until abolished under Margaret Thatcher) but with different powers. A further tier of local government imposed on us a few years ago).
 
DavidGrain said:
West Midlands Combined Authority. Just think back many years to the West Midlands County Council (1974 until abolished under Margaret Thatcher) but with different powers. A further tier of local government imposed on us a few years ago).
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Thanks

Bob
 
The tracks are all connected to Centenary Square.

Centenary Square view looking to Suffolk Street Queensway.



The curve at Paradise Circus to Paradise Street.



Corner of Paradise Street and Suffolk Street Queensway.



Bottom of what was Broad Street near HSBC UK HQ.



The line past Arena Central.



Centenary Square Tram Stop.



Towards the Hyatt.



Broad Street beyond here is mostly closed, I think as far as Ryland Street (where the buses are diverted).
 
ellbrown said:
The tracks are all connected to Centenary Square.

Centenary Square view looking to Suffolk Street Queensway.



The curve at Paradise Circus to Paradise Street.



Corner of Paradise Street and Suffolk Street Queensway.



Bottom of what was Broad Street near HSBC UK HQ.



The line past Arena Central.



Centenary Square Tram Stop.



Towards the Hyatt.



Broad Street beyond here is mostly closed, I think as far as Ryland Street (where the buses are diverted).
Click to expand...
Once more a superb collection of pictures. 110 years ago they would have been postcards. Please keep them coming.

Bob
 
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