yes your right sorry, I thought they had all gone now. looks like keeping that for some reason, thank you for letting me know.
Midland Metro tram fleet 37 now in service as posted on the britishtramsonline website, it also says that only number 17 to be commissioned now,
Thought they were too close to actually meeting a schedule deadline
At the conclusion of this saga there needs to be a review as to what's led to the successive delays in this project. To take upwards of 4 years to complete a 0.6 mile extension is a pretty poor endorsement for metro extensions. However I hope lessons can be rapidly learnt for the following extensions!!
Completely agree. The Edinburgh fiasco was bad enough but that, eventually, appeared to come down to very poor management of the project by the council. This extension has caused major problems in the city centre for years and will do absolutely nothing to help those supporting more light rail in the UK. There needs to be a proper enquiry to identify how the project was managed and why the timescale became so ridiculous.
OK, Edinburgh and Birmingham haven't gone smoothly but already Edinburgh is beating passenger targets and the Leigh extension is on the cards again.
No mention of Manchester or Nottingham, I notice, perhaps because the extensions are going smoothly
I'm not familiar with the background but an inspector's report and ministerial decision letter have appeared on the DfT website concerning an attempted variation in the route of the Birmingham city centre extension.
The inspector recommended that it should be rejected but the minister accepted it with modifications.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...isition-and-variation-order-inspectors-report
https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...ension-land-acquisition-order-decision-letter
It appears that the Inspector's grounds for recommending refusal of this Order were very largely to do with impact on heritage structures. In view of recent events in Manchester, I guess the SoS is being quite courageous in seeking to overrule these.
anyway as they said the other shouldn't be to long before the trams run into the city centre
Birmingham Updates said:Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osborne to get a Metro tram named after him.
Rock icon Ozzy Osborne is to get star billing in his native Birmingham by having a Midland Metro tram named after him.
The city’s own Prince of Darkness will be in town to meet the tram bearing his name this Thursday (26/05).
The Aston-born frontman of legendary Birmingham band Black Sabbath will be at the new Corporation Street stop at 11am.
Ozzy said: “It’s a great honour to have a new tram named after me, I’m proud to be a Brummie and this means so much.”
...
That flange squeal! hock:Edit: Video here from the BBC's Peter Plisner on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BBCPeterPlisner/status/734757867669049345
On-street driver training between Bull Street and the Stephenson Street stop outside New Street station began today (Monday 23 May) following successful work over the weekend to correct minor alignment problems on some sections of the track.
Midland Metro trams will be running into the heart of Birmingham City Centre at Grand Central from start of service on Bank Holiday Monday 30th May 2016...
There’s lots to be excited about:
Three new tram stops in Birmingham City Centre: Snow Hill, Corporation Street & Grand Central
First trams run on Monday
http://nxbus.co.uk/the-metro/news/a...ew-timetable-coming-from-monday-30th-may-2016
I guess Midland Metro's acquisition of the battery technology from the tram manufacturers will help alleviate the environmental impact? (No overhead line equipment?)
The trams are actually running to New Street on driver training today, so I guess whatever work needed doing to the track was relatively minor and has been done.
Edit: Video here from the BBC's Peter Plisner on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BBCPeterPlisner/status/734757867669049345
In other Metro news:
http://birminghamupdates.com/post/144807795188/prince-of-darkness-ozzy-osborne-to-get-a-metro
Because nothing's more rock and roll than a pink tram.
Screw all that, debit card payments at last! Cash only on the tram was getting a bit stupid. Finally got into the 20th century. Maybe they'll even get ticket machines one day!