Trams UK
Birmingham West Midlands Metro
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Current route of the West Midlands Metro in pink |
| West Midlands Metro (originally
named Midland Metro) is a light-rail/tram system in the
county of West Midlands, England. Opened on 30 May 1999, it
consists of a single route, Line 1, which operates between the cities
of Birmingham and Wolverhampton via
the towns of West Bromwich and Wednesbury, running on a
mixture of re-opened disused railway line (the Birmingham
Snow Hill to Wolverhampton Low Level Line) and on-street running in
urban areas. The line originally terminated at Birmingham Snow
Hill station, but with extensions opened in 2015 and 2019, now runs
into Birmingham City Centre to terminate at Library in Centenary
Square, with further extension underway and due to be complete in
2021.
Extensions to Line 1, to Edgbaston at the southern end and Wolverhampton railway station in the north are currently under construction. Construction of a new Line 2 from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill was approved in March 2019 and started in February 2020. A further extension on Line 1 from Bull Street to Curzon Street and Digbeth was approved in March 2020. The West Midlands Metro is operated by a fleet of 21 Urbos 3 trams, constructed by the Spanish manufacturer CAF. The present fleet was introduced into service during 2014-15, replacing the original fleet of 16 Italian-built Ansaldobreda T-69 trams, which had entered service in 1999. However, on 13 November 2021, some services were suspended due to cracks being found in the bodywork of some trams and on 20 March 2022, services were suspended completely until further notice due to cracks in the bodywork of some of the older CAF trams They resumed a limited service in early June 2022 |
2008
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Ansaldobreda T-69 No:4 at Snow Hill |
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Ansaldobreda T-69 No:4 at Wolverhampton |
2011
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Ansaldobreda T-69 No:07 at Jewellery Quarter |
2018
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CAF Urbo Car 19 at Wolverhampton St George's Square on 7th July |
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CAF Urbo Car 22 departing The Hawthorns on 7th July |
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Car 25 at Jewellery Quarter |
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Car 19 at The Hawthorns on 7th July |
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Cars 17 and 22 at The Hawthorns on 7th July |
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CAF Urbo Car 25 at Grand Central (New Street railway station) on 7th July |
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Car 23 alongside Snow Hill railway station on 3rd August |
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Car 23 approaching Priestfield stop |
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Car 30 at the Corporation Street stop |
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Car 28 runs down the slope towards the Grand Central stop (New Street railway station) |
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Car 37 arriving at Wednesbury Parkway |
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Car 30 leaving St Chads |
2019
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Car 17 at Grand Central terminus (New Street railway station) in March |
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Car 31 at Grand Central terminus in March |
2022
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Car 21 at Grand Central terminus in August 2022 |
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