Future Routes or Other Developments

[Ginger66]

Anyone got ideas of future routes you would like to see or other developments on the metro system.

I would like to see the following lines
1) Wednesbury to Sutton Coldfield via Walsall using the disused line from Walsall to Suton Coldfield.
2) Birmingham to Oldbury (But can see it be impractical)
3) entertainment district a spur of Pinfold street onto Navigation Street then onto Hill Street, the single line on Station St, Dudley St (stop near Spanish Steps), Ladywell walk, Hurst Street (stop outside Hippodrome) then rejoin Hill Street. (But can see it be impractical)

Developments
1) Request Stops when it is quiet
2) elevated track on eastside (if practical)
3) Express trams/Limited stop
4  Trams that are driverless (if technology permits)

[Tony]

Anyone got ideas of future routes you would like to see or other developments on the metro system.

I would like to see the following lines
1) Wednesbury to Sutton Coldfield via Walsall using the disused line from Walsall to Suton Coldfield.
2) Birmingham to Oldbury (But can see it be impractical)
3) entertainment district a spur of Pinfold street onto Navigation Street then onto Hill Street, the single line on Station St, Dudley St (stop near Spanish Steps), Ladywell walk, Hurst Street (stop outside Hippodrome) then rejoin Hill Street. (But can see it be impractical)

Developments
1) Request Stops when it is quiet
2) elevated track on eastside (if practical)
3) Express trams/Limited stop
4  Trams that are driverless (if technology permits)

Can I ask why you would want elevated track?

[Busboy105]

Can I ask why you would want elevated track?

I remember seeing a plan for building a viaduct near the new  Curzon Street Station when it's being built. Maybe Ginger was referring to that.

[Tony]

I remember seeing a plan for building a viaduct near the new  Curzon Street Station when it's being built. Maybe Ginger was referring to that.

Not for the trams as far as I remember. The viaduct was to heing HS2 into the station

[Roy]

Wednesbury to Sutton Coldfield would encounter a few problems.  The trackbed from Wednesbury to the M6 is fine but the last 700 yards to Pleck is used as a headshunt by freight trains.  That, plus the fact that heavy rail lines from Darlaston and Bescot join the line from either side means that either grade separation or a different on-road route would be needed to get the line to Walsall. 

In addition, TfWM have aspirations to reopen Aldridge station and extend some Walsall terminators to Aldridge in the future.  A feasibility study has already found that this is viable and a business case is currently being prepared.  Finally, the Sutton Park line is not disused but is open as a freight route and is still used regularly.  In fact, it was also used by a steam special a couple of weeks ago.

One rail based reopening that is needed is from Brierley Hill or Harts Hill to Stourbridge, possibly including the Stourbridge Town branch.  An option for this corridor is being investigated by TfWM after the plan by West Midlands Railway to extend Stourbridge Junction terminators to Canal Street was discarded.  Personally, I think an extension of the Metro, either from Brierley Hill terminus or as a branch from Canal Street, would be the best option.

[Ginger66]

Not for the trams as far as I remember. The viaduct was to heing HS2 into the station

when I mentioned elevated, I been  something like this  https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/dpr-approved-for-elevated-light-rail-system-in-jammu-srinagar/

this will allow the roads to run freely and if there were an incident trams don't have to terminate short of the destination, and there is no costly diversions of water and gas piping

[Tony]

when I mentioned elevated, I been  something like this  https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/dpr-approved-for-elevated-light-rail-system-in-jammu-srinagar/

this will allow the roads to run freely and if there were an incident trams don't have to terminate short of the destination, and there is no costly diversions of water and gas piping

No costly diversions of utilities? Don't be silly, they still have to be moved if they run underneath an elevated section, you cannot put the supports on top, and the cost of that is far more expensive

[danny]

Intrested in how you would do Birmingham to Oldbury... A route which is well linked via bus and train connections... Short of a full road run service don't see how it could or would be done.

[Westy]

What's the likely future of sections of what was going to be the '5W' route, bearing in mind the section in North Walsall was 'tidied up' a few years back?

[Busboy105]

What's the likely future of sections of what was going to be the '5W' route, bearing in mind the section in North Walsall was 'tidied up' a few years back?

Isn't some of the line going towards the Walsall-Wolverhampton train line?

[Kevin]

Realistically:
I'd like to see the Merry Hill line extended to Stourbridge and take over the running of the Town branch, either coming into Junction from the Brierley Hill line and reversing or some sort of street running into Stourbridge then up the branch to terminate at the Junction.
Extension beyond Edgbaston along the Hagley Road to Quinton and Halesowen
Wednesbury up to Walsall and Walsall across to Wolves like the somehow canned 5Ws route

Kinda fantasy:
A line following the current planned line to Digbeth then along the rail formation through Small Heath and Tyseley and take over the heavy rail route through Shirley and as tram-train to Stratford, with heavy rail half hourly via Solihull instead

Pure fantasy:
Extend the above Halesowen line up to Cradley Heath (interchange) and Merry Hill
Birchfield Road / Kingstanding Road up to Kingstanding circle, possibly beyond up to Streetly
Airport / Chelmsley route, can't remember which way the airport route is meant to go, either Cov Road or Chelmsley Wood, but build both and run services both ways round as a loop
Out from Wolves along Newhampton Road or Tettenhall Road and onto the old Wombourne railway to Pensnett and into Dudley via Russells Hall

Isn't some of the line going towards the Walsall-Wolverhampton train line?

Train line is the current rail line just with stations built along the way
The proposed tram line I hoped would be one that made it into existence, via Wednesfield, the other side of Willenhall town centre and Bentley. The bit at the Leamore end had some clearing work but that's it as far as I'm aware. Massive shame that, really think that would be a useful route

[Ginger66]

Intrested in how you would do Birmingham to Oldbury... A route which is well linked via bus and train connections... Short of a full road run service don't see how it could or would be done.

can see what you mean, but the same could be said about taking buses down Broad St/Hagley road.

[Tony]

can see what you mean, but the same could be said about taking buses down Broad St/Hagley road.

Very different. Broad Street is only having limited vehicular access, so trams will not be caught up in general traffic, whereas if you put a tramline down Dudley Road it would be no faster than a limited stop bus service

[Roy]

Anyone got ideas of future routes you would like to see or other developments on the metro system.

I would like to see the following lines
1) Wednesbury to Sutton Coldfield via Walsall using the disused line from Walsall to Suton Coldfield.

I've just been looking at the planning application for the redevelopment of Perry Barr station and it includes the following paragraph.

Proposals to enhance the City's rail network will be supported, including:
• Reopening the Camp Hill and Sutton Park railway lines to passenger services.
• The delivery of the Camp Hill Chord scheme and the facilitation of services from the Camp Hill line and from Tamworth/Nuneaton to run into the new platforms at Moor Street station.
• The provision of new stations at Kings Heath, Hazelwell and Moseley on the Camp Hill route, Castle Vale, Walmley, Sutton Coldfield Town Centre and Sutton Park on the Sutton Park route and at the Fort and Castle Vale on the Tamworth route.
• Redevelopment of Snow Hill station and reinstatement of Platform 4.
• The expansion of park and ride sites including Kings Norton, Four Oaks and Lea Hall.

Thus, it appears that the current aspiration is to restore heavy rail services along the entire length of the Sutton Park line.