How can Manchester build........

[RW]

tram routes almost for fun while in a conurbation the size of the West Midlands Centro appears to be almost impotent when it comes to developing a 'network' of routes? I'm a great supporter of the Metro and of the BCC extension but in reality it will bring no great benefit to the majority of the West Mids. There's been plenty of talk of routes along the A34, out to 5 Ways, a Wolverhampton City Centre loop, a route out to Merry Hill and routes covering Willenhall and Walsall. But that's all it's been, talk. No outward sign of any progress at all with the development of any of these routes, and anyone who reads reports submitted to Centro and it's Committees will know that Members are rarely if ever presented with reports relating to any further development. Now we have Birmingham Airport expanding and the proposed HS2 terminal in Curzon St both of which will surely need a Metro link to help maximise their potential. Birmingham may claim to be the 2nd City but taken with the West  Midlands as a whole it's way behind most, if not all, Uk tram systems and showing no sign of catching up. So is Line 1 simply a 'token' tram route or is there any serious intent to develop a route network before the bus at the front of the jam meets the bus at the tail end of the jam which is getting ever closer. Time for Centro to step up to the mark and show how serious it is about the future development of Midland Metro.

[midlandred2003]

I totally agree with you,it annoys me that manchester and nottingham are extending there networks and what do we get a completely pointless extension to new street,we should have had wednesbury to stourbridge done years ago.

[s-m-991]

@midlandred2003 You have exactly my thoughts. Mancs and Notts get extensions and Mids get a poxy extension when I can walk that in about 5 mins.

On the potential Walsall route, there has been cutting and clearing in the Reedswood are and fences installed nearby so thats the only sign :-/

[Dylan4579]

Hopefully sm991 hopefully

[Solo1]

also Sheffield  has i think 2 or 3 lines

[CRP2012]

also Sheffield  has i think 2 or 3 lines

3 Lines
Middlewood - Medowhall (Yellow)
Malin Br - Halfway (Blue)
City Hall - Herdings Pk (Purple)

[Kevin]

Hate to say it but I reckon it's down to just one thing - NIMBYism
By all accounts (ok, not all, one account - from someone who's only lived a few years in Manc) there is opposition to the tram routes, but they just get ignored

[Roy]

The major expansions to the Manchester tram network came about when the Labour government put up a Transport Innovation Fund in 2007, with a stipulation that local authorities had to introduce a traffic congestion charge as part of their bid. 

Centro refused to bid, stating that there was no way that they would support a congestion charge in the West Midlands.  However, Manchester put forward a bid which included a pledge to have a referendum on the introduction of congestion charges.  In July 2008, the Government awarded GMPTE over £1400 million to expand their network subject to the result of the referendum.

In December 2008, the referendum voted by 4 to 1 to reject any congestion charges in Manchester, which meant that they failed to meet the criteria for getting the governemnt money.  However, it was later announced by the Government that Manchester would receive the money, and could go ahead with their Metro expansion.

In other words, it was a fiddle.  Had Centro called the government's bluff and made a bid bsed on organising a referendum in the same was as GMPTE did, there is a chance that we could have received some of the money and our Metro system may have expanded by now.

[RW]

All good points but what exactly is Centro doing to try and develop a network. Anything?

[Tony]

All good points but what exactly is Centro doing to try and develop a network. Anything?

It has applied for, and got, Transport & works orders for the Merry Hill extension. These are valid for 10 years from granting, so if it get the money it can get going on building much quicker.

Only trouble is this was in 2005 and I think are only valid for 10 years, so unless they start work in the next two years I think they have to re-apply

see http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2005/0110723244/introduction

[Justin Tyme]

The biggest problem with all tramway systems is the cost of building them.  All of them in the UK only exist thanks to Government funding.

[richie]

The biggest problem with all tramway systems is the cost of building them.  All of them in the UK only exist thanks to Government funding.

Just another constant reminder that the transport industry never was and never will be truly privatised

[RW]

Leaving aside the BCCE has the West Midlands been getting its fair share of Government funds for tramway development. Looking around the country at existing systems some of which, such as Nottingham, started being built after Midland Metro the answer is clearly no it hasn't. Why not? Has Centro dithered while others got stuck in?

[andy]

Leaving aside the BCCE has the West Midlands been getting its fair share of Government funds for tramway development. Looking around the country at existing systems some of which, such as Nottingham, started being built after Midland Metro the answer is clearly no it hasn't. Why not? Has Centro dithered while others got stuck in?

Yes! That's exactly what has happened. Centro is one of the least progressive transport authorities you will find, or at least it has been up until now anyway. Transport infrastructure was left to the local authority by government and therefore if they choose not to bid for funding or can't be bothered to innovate, you go nowhere. Centro is a virtually prehistoric organisation which will now have to be dragged kicking and screaming into this century. Not helped by the love in with NX that has existed virtually ever since deregulation, imagine the impact on them that a proper tram network (and I'm not including the tinpot thing we've had up until now) would have had?

[The Real 4778]

I've been 'fortunate' to attend several meetings and conferences of the Light Rail Transit Association over the years.  An observation I have is that the other local authorities seem far more pro-tram than Centro.  There are real ambassadors for the likes of Nottingham and Manchester schemes, but the West Midlands seems almost non-existent by comparison.

Studies into connectivity of cities following the construction/ approval of High Speed Rail schemes, place huge emphasis on the development of Tram networks to deliver maximum benefit from the overall investment, so hopefully the West Midlands will step-up once Curzon Street regeneration to receive HS2 gets underway in earnest.