Bham Ext final countdown

[wembley86]

21 days to go:  3 platforms are still to be built and finished, I can't see the line opening for early may, more late June at this rate.

[Stevo]

I think the only platform left to be done is the northbound Snow Hill one. The overhead is now complete to the start of Stephenson Street. As there are no holes left in the Corporation St stop platform inbound for supports I wonder if there will be a shelter there.

[Tony]

First tram ran down the extension last night

photo on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/thetraveltom/photos/a.184370401576339.55700.122785057734874/1299671040046264/?type=3&theater

Centro news article
http://centro.org.uk/about-us/news/2016/all-systems-go-for-midland-metro-to-new-street-station/

[Kevin]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't really see where the access to the Snow Hill stop is going to be, apart from along the back of the office blocks on Snow Hill itself.  Is there going to be any access from the rail station?

[Stevo]

As I've posted before, I think you'll have to walk alongside the grassed track and enter the station at the front. I presume that Network Rail in the fullness of time will reinstate platform 4 and relay the track, but till then it would be easy to put a temporary ramp to the platform from the stop. There is no sign of lifts or staircases being built to get down to Great Charles Street. It's all rather poor and far less convenient than the old stop.

[Other Walsall Tony]

I see the signals and point indicators in Stephenson Street are now operational.

[uniquicity]

The new timetable...

http://nxbus.co.uk/files/MidlandMetro/current_timetables/MidlandMetroTimetable-22May2016.pdf

[Stuharris 6360]

The new timetable...

http://nxbus.co.uk/files/MidlandMetro/current_timetables/MidlandMetroTimetable-22May2016.pdf

I do hate timetables that read "then every 8 minutes or less", what is the point of that?

[uniquicity]

Well they're doing work on the grassy bit on the end of snowhill 2. Maybe this is stairs related to the rail station

[Stuharris 6360]

According to Midlands Today, the opening date of the extension is postponed again!

[T840MAK]

Well, we all saw it coming I suppose

http://www.centro.org.uk/about-us/news/2016/midland-metro-services-to-new-street-station-hit-delay/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialSignIn&utm_source=Facebook

[wembley86]

Well they're doing work on the grassy bit on the end of snowhill 2. Maybe this is stairs related to the rail station

Work as started on snow 3 development, i thought the stairs was on the other side of the road where the works unit is at the momnet

[Justin Tyme]

Well, we all saw it coming I suppose

http://www.centro.org.uk/about-us/news/2016/midland-metro-services-to-new-street-station-hit-delay/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialSignIn&utm_source=Facebook

Not good news to discover this problem only five days before the due date.  And a less-than-adequate news item from Centro, with no indication of how the faults will be remedied or how long it is likely to take.

For those who didn't see Midlands Today, the BBC said that grinding of rails is all that is required and, if all goes well, the extension could open during the Bank Holiday weekend (which I guess means it may open by July, perhaps).

There are loads of lessons that need to be learned from all these delays.  I hope they are all learned before the works hit Broad Street, otherwise the Harborne and Hagley Road corridors will be in a mess for years.

[Stu]

In a way I'm glad that the extensive safety checking has identified these faults that will need rectifying.

The alternative situation would be that the trams would be rushed into service, then some kind of fatal incident occurs within a few weeks. Imagine the horror if a tram were to derail in the city centre during the busy peak period!

People have waited long enough for the trams to go all the way to New Street, hopefully it will only be another couple of weeks before they can do so... safely.

[Justin Tyme]

Yes, the tramway must be safe before it opens.

But why have the works overrun so badly?