General Metro Thread

[danny]

@Stuharris 6360 don't apologise its a legit question buddy. To my understanding I believe I read somewhere trams will run to alternate destinations...

Will be very interesting to see how this manifests when the merry hill extension is complete. Would be nice to be able to get from merry hill to Wolverhampton on one tram when the system eventually gets extended.

[Stuharris 6360]

@Stuharris 6360 don't apologise its a legit question buddy. To my understanding I believe I read somewhere trams will run to alternate destinations...

Will be very interesting to see how this manifests when the merry hill extension is complete. Would be nice to be able to get from merry hill to Wolverhampton on one tram when the system eventually gets extended.

Thanks @danny for the reply. I to am interested in the Merry Hill extension, especially as it will create some better journey opportunities, hopefully it won't be to long in coming.

[danny]

If I'm not mistaken isn't the merry hill extension green lighted for work to begin this year, I know that as you cross Castle Hill by the station Hotel the trackbed beneath seems to have been cleared as well as the track to Wednesbury, will decffinatly be an asset to dudley and the local area as to two network rail stations bearing dudley in the name (Sandwell and dudley & Dudley port) are quite a distance away from the main town...

On the subject of the extension does anyone know the route trams will take between dudley and merry hill, as far as artist impressions go I get the idea that from the current track bed trams will rise up somehow onto castle hill to go past the zoo then onto the bus station, but as for afterwards can't quite work out whether they will somehow rejoin the current abandoned track somewhere after the abandoned dudley rail tunnel. Then used parkhill viaduct and join the road at some point or whether they will just travel on existing roads...

Come to think of it while on the subject, is there a possibility that the former dudley rail tunnel would be brought back into use as a way of bypassing dudley Town in the even of an emergency/blockage of the road or to potentially run dead from merry hill to Wednesbury at the end of or beginning of service, that is of course if trams run dead... Can't say I've ever paid much attention as last time I really used the metro was to get to uni back between 2009-2012.

Thanks guys in advance for your replys.

[the trainbasher]

If I'm not mistaken isn't the merry hill extension green lighted for work to begin this year, I know that as you cross Castle Hill by the station Hotel the trackbed beneath seems to have been cleared as well as the track to Wednesbury, will decffinatly be an asset to dudley and the local area as to two network rail stations bearing dudley in the name (Sandwell and dudley & Dudley port) are quite a distance away from the main town...

On the subject of the extension does anyone know the route trams will take between dudley and merry hill, as far as artist impressions go I get the idea that from the current track bed trams will rise up somehow onto castle hill to go past the zoo then onto the bus station, but as for afterwards can't quite work out whether they will somehow rejoin the current abandoned track somewhere after the abandoned dudley rail tunnel. Then used parkhill viaduct and join the road at some point or whether they will just travel on existing roads...

Come to think of it while on the subject, is there a possibility that the former dudley rail tunnel would be brought back into use as a way of bypassing dudley Town in the even of an emergency/blockage of the road or to potentially run dead from merry hill to Wednesbury at the end of or beginning of service, that is of course if trams run dead... Can't say I've ever paid much attention as last time I really used the metro was to get to uni back between 2009-2012.

Thanks guys in advance for your replys.

The tunnel is apparently being used for Very Light Rail testing.

The metro will leave Dudley via flood street to rejoin the original rail line.

[mikestone]

Isn't the Very Light Rail Centre supposed to have been built by now on the Freightliner terminal site  just a glint in the eye of someone in an office at Warwick University?
;
It seems highly unlikely anyone is going to be maintaining the tunnel for either emergencies or test running. As for Wolverhampton I believe it has always been the official line they will alternate, although it seems pretty pointless with a stop in Pipers Row and I shouldn't be surprised if St. Georges ends up as a bolt holt for trams with battery problems.

[Roy]

One way to find out what is going on is to find the minutes of the West Midlands Combined Authority Transport Delivery Meetings, which take place about 6 times per year.  The following is a link to the public reports pack for the January meeting which had a lot of items on the agenda about the Metro, including the extensions and new tram procurement.

https://governance.wmca.org.uk/documents/g214/Public%20reports%20pack%2004th-Feb-2019%2013.00%20Transport%20Delivery%20Committee.pdf?T=10

From the WMCA home page, click on Committee Meetings at the bottom, then on Committees, then on Transport Delivery Committee and browse meetings and agendas.

I don't think the service pattern has been finalised yet but one proposal put forward a couple of years ago was for a turn back platform to be provided at one of the intermediate stations in the West Bromwich area.  Trams into Birmingham could then follow the pattern - Wolverhampton to Edgbaston, Brierley Hill to Eastside, West Bromwich to Edgbaston, Wolverhampton to Eastside, Brierley Hill to Edgbaston, West Bromwich to Eastside and so on.  Trams from Wolverhampton would operate to Edgbaston, Brierley Hill, Eastside, Brierley Hill and so on, with a similar pattern for services from Brierley Hill.

The route through Dudley would see the tram leaving the heavy rail route east of Tipton Road, crossing Tipton Road on the level (which I find strange but which is now necessary as the Innovation Centre would block the route if the line continued into the old Dudley station), go round the back of the Innovation Centre to the Hippodrome, up Castle Hill, through the bus station, along King Street, down Flood Street and then alongside the bypass (where passive provision for the route was provided when the bypass was built) to rejoin the heavy rail line at Cinder Bank.  It would then leave the heavy rail route at Canal Street, just north of Round Oak, and it is hoped that the connecting Canal Street to Stourbridge Junction heavy rail service announced in the last franchise agreement might actually happen (although this is looking less likely as time goes by).

Network Rail have insisted that the line is built with passive provision for a freight line even though they don't expect to reopen the line until 2040 at the earliest.  That means that, if one track through the tunnel is used for the Innovation Centre (if it is ever built), the other must be retained for heavy rail use and can't be used by the Metro.

At Wolverhampton, there have been conflicting reports on the service pattern although St George's will remain open.  One possibility is that St George's will only be used by some services off-peak during shopping hours, although that certainly hasn't been finalised.

[Ginger66]

Sorry if this has been asked before but will Wolverhampton St Georges tram stop be taken out when the extension to the train station opens?

It will still be used i.e. 1 tram an hour will still use St Georges

[Solo1]

No trams from Birmingham due to overhead line down at jewelry quarter see link
https://www.expressandstar.com/news/transport/2019/03/05/west-midlands-metro-passengers-face-disruption-after-overhead-cable-damage/

[CL]

Despite being ran by The Green Bus these past two days, one of Diamond's new Streetlites (AJD) has been drafted in on Metro Replacement work. Currently sat in City Centre.

They seem to be running every 10 minutes during the daytime; using three vehicles.

[Ginger66]

No trams from Birmingham due to overhead line down at jewelry quarter see link
https://www.expressandstar.com/news/transport/2019/03/05/west-midlands-metro-passengers-face-disruption-after-overhead-cable-damage/

Yet again same area effected with overhead line problems.  The sooner all trams have batteries fitted the better.  Then Jewelry Quarter to Soho Benson Road can be converted to battery section.   

In the last 20 years this section has had more problems than any other section on the line

[Tony]

Yet again same area effected with overhead line problems.  The sooner all trams have batteries fitted the better.  Then Jewelry Quarter to Soho Benson Road can be converted to battery section.   

In the last 20 years this section has had more problems than any other section on the line

Batteries don't help when the line is obstructed

[Solo1]

Service update: trams are now running as normal between Priestfield and Grand Central. There is still as shuttle tram service between Priestfield and Wolverhampton St Georges. Please change trams at Priestfield to continue your journey. https://t.co/dMQIskwcO8

[CL]

It seems as though the announcements may have been updated; at least on the tram I was on.

No longer at Winson Green Outer Circle, or Jewellery Quarter do they mention either Inner/Outer Circle services, respectively. The announcements now says a rather vague  "for local bus services".

[Roy]

The Metro is 20 years old tomorrow.  The first services ran on 30 May 1999.
https://westmidlandsmetro.com/2019/05/29/all-aboard-for-metros-20th-birthday/

[Ginger66]

Strange question
1) is the old route from Priestfield to Wolverhampton accessible.  (I know the track is not there) to link up with main line.
2)could NR take back control of line and have trains from Liverpool-Wolverhampton-Birmingham-London cutting of at priestfield to go up to Wolverhampton and Snowhill to London