• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Metro Progress 2022

Nothing said about the route from Bull Street to the Library and no apology for not starting that service back up as was planned. I see that "essential maintenance work" will lead to further closures and replacement bus services too:

Sunday 12th June until Weds 15th June:

From 22:00 trams will operate between Wolverhampton St George’s and Black Lake only.
There will be no services after 22:00 between Black Lake and Birmingham city centre on these days.

Sunday 19th June:

From 22:00 trams will operate between Wolverhampton St George’s and Wednesbury Parkway only.
There will be no services after 22:00 between Wednesbury Parkway and Birmingham city centre.

Mon 20th June until 22nd June, Sun 26th June until Weds 29th June, Sun 3rd July and Mon 4th July:

From 22:00 trams will operate between Wednesbury Parkway and Bull Street only.
There will be no services after 22:30 between Wolverhampton St George’s and Wednesbury Parkway on these days.
 
It was announced on West Midlands Radio BBC that the trams started to run to Bull Street in Birmingham on Thursday 9th June.

It was also said that the fleet in use would be 12 in number with the rest of the fleet undergoing body panel replacement.
Of that 12 there are 8 which are said to be new from the makers.
This would imply that only 4 of the original fleet are fit for service. Which is an alarming piece of information. If it takes about 3 months to repair 4 trams, the rate of progress to repair all the trams might need another year, at least, unless the process of repair is speeded up!
 
Even more concerning is that in the previous BBC report it was stated that the new trams had been bought. So this means that substandard trams which failed due to either poor design or cheap materials were not replaced by the manufacturer, but that the authority had spent money replacing them. Arthur Daley rides again, but now lives in Spain
 
I think it also said that the repairs had been done at the expense of the manufacturer, but it seems that they are adopting the term "manana" when it comes to the speed of carrying out the repairs. I can't believe they have bought new trams, having been sold a pup once, it's beyond belief, that they would go back to buy more.....:rolleyes:
 
  • Appreciate
Reactions: MWS
The whole construction project seems to have been handled very spasmodically. Not in the construction trade myself, but from what I hear it has been subcontracted to lots of firms who hire people virtually on a weekly basis. Maybe that's the way the industry is run nowadays, but it would not have worked for Brunel or his competitors
 
I only watch progress of work on the Midland Metro via the internet and see that trams can now run from Wolverhampton to Bull Street. I'm puzzled as to why they do not run to New Street Station ?
 
Surely that is the point. Why not to the station (Stephenson ST)? Thus giving a connection between the tram and the trains, .
 
Spargone said:
Isn't Stephenson Street near enough for you?
Click to expand...
When they laid the extension from Snow Hill Station to New Street Station the tram terminus was in Stephenson Street outside the entrance to New Street Station. Trams ran on the extension until for some reason they dug it all up and relaid the track. I suppose my question is 'if there are some trams running to Bull Street - why don't they now continue the short distance to New Street Station?'

I only see the Midland Metro news via the internet but have seen and been close up to the Metrolink Trams in Manchester.
 
Or to the library again, oldMohawk. It's a very good question, but Midland Metro doesn't seem to want to give the answer. It doesn't seem too much to ask for them to provide the same service that they previously did, if they want to claim it's up & running again.
 
oldMohawk said:
When they laid the extension from Snow Hill Station to New Street Station the tram terminus was in Stephenson Street outside the entrance to New Street Station. Trams ran on the extension until for some reason they dug it all up and relaid the track. I suppose my question is 'if there are some trams running to Bull Street - why don't they now continue the short distance to New Street Station?'

I only see the Midland Metro news via the internet but have seen and been close up to the Metrolink Trams in Manchester.
Click to expand...
A 'Covid Consequence'? Must admit it has been some time since I have been near New Street.
Just goes to show that Modern Railways was right 50 years ago when it said trams are just vanity projects. (Edinburgh had to close its modern trams to dig up the roads to move underground services). Buses are far more flexible. In a city like Birmingham there could even be electric buses topping up their battery at each bus stop, no need for overheads, but could be used where convenient.
 
Spargone said:
A 'Covid Consequence'? Must admit it has been some time since I have been near New Street.
Just goes to show that Modern Railways was right 50 years ago when it said trams are just vanity projects. (Edinburgh had to close its modern trams to dig up the roads to move underground services). Buses are far more flexible. In a city like Birmingham there could even be electric buses topping up their battery at each bus stop, no need for overheads, but could be used where convenient.
Click to expand...
Seems a "no brainer" to me. I've tried to understand this passion for "trams" but just think they are a quarter of a century out dated.
 
When the trams work they are great for getting around town, particularly for those with mobility issues, sadly they don't work or fully run, often enough. :( Manchester do not seem to have experienced the problems that we have during the years their trams, have been in operation in the city centre and despite their claims, we remain the second city, albeit a city with a second rate tram system.
 
When the trams run they provide a better service to Bilston, Wednesbury, and West Bromwich. For those who catch the 74 or 75 bus the traffic on the road can delay buses and the journey becomes akin to purgatory.

As to buying new trams, the contracts were probably in place for a new supply for the Edgbaston Extension before the current problems arose last summer.

In fact, bus travel in this area has changed with the introduction of community bus routes that travel alongside routes to pick up and drop off passengers, with less direct routes between places.
 
The Metro extension to 54 Hagley Road is now six months overdue, but the Midland Metro Alliance said on Tuesday that they still aim to have it open for the Games, which begin on 28th July, although currently it still doesn't go any further than Bull Street!

The scheme is now entering it's sixth year since construction began, so the 1.2 mile route will have taken longer to complete than the Eiffel Tower, Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building, Blackpool Tower and the original Birmingham - London Railway railway line in the 1830s did!
 
John L said:
The Metro extension to 54 Hagley Road is now six months overdue, but the Midland Metro Alliance said on Tuesday that they still aim to have it open for the Games, which begin on 28th July, although currently it still doesn't go any further than Bull Street!

The scheme is now entering it's sixth year since construction began, so the 1.2 mile route will have taken longer to complete than the Eiffel Tower, Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building, Blackpool Tower and the original Birmingham - London Railway railway line in the 1830s did!
Click to expand...
shocking john but i am not surprised

lyn
 
John L said:
The Metro extension to 54 Hagley Road is now six months overdue, but the Midland Metro Alliance said on Tuesday that they still aim to have it open for the Games, which begin on 28th July, although currently it still doesn't go any further than Bull Street!

The scheme is now entering it's sixth year since construction began, so the 1.2 mile route will have taken longer to complete than the Eiffel Tower, Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building, Blackpool Tower and the original Birmingham - London Railway railway line in the 1830s did!
Click to expand...
And John, did they say how far over the original budget they are? Usually when a project is that far over timeline it is MANY pounds or $ over budget!
 
I see the Metro will be having live jazz performances on their trams on 15/7 @ 8pm, 20/7 @ 7pm and on 23/7 @ 1pm. Pity there is still no news on whether we might be able to hear it, anywhere past Bull Street in Birmingham City Centre. On Twitter today they boast below... (they cannot be serious, can they?):
1657638623408.png
 
"The trams have previously only been able to go as far as Bull Street" That's a lie, or perhaps one should say "a sentence written by a PR person", which is exactly the same thing. They should realise that "previously" means "all the time up till now"
 
It seems that the Metro along Broad Street commenced on Sunday 17th July. The trams now have Edgbaston Village destination on the board and now have three additional stops at Brindley Place, Five Ways and Edgbaston Village. As noted before the trams did run on test along the Broad Street part, now they run from St Georges, Wolverhampton to Edgbaston Village, which is now the longest section of track for the Metro and it has only taken 23 years to achieve this present milestone!
 
Why go to Edgbaston Village and where is it? It is a commercial development of Calthorpe Estates. An attempt to suggest an 'urban village' in the triangle of roads between Hagley Road, Highfield Road and Calthorpe Road. https://edgbastonvillage.co.uk
There are up-market shops, with an 'artisan market' on Sat 10th September 2022.
The Calthorpe family still own the estate.
The historic area of Edgbaston does not have a centre of course.
The tram looks a good way of visiting Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top