West Midland Metro Westside Extension

Simon Poole · 18 Nov 2019

I seen this on Midland Metro Alliance (@midlandtram) on Twitter this afternoon and I put a quote of the tweet below

Since mid-2017, we’ve been constructing the Birmingham Westside extension to Centenary Square for @TransportforWM.

Today, the tramway was handed over to @WMmetro for driver route familiarisation, further testing and timetable simulations ahead of next month’s opening.

As of today they starting driver route familiarisation, further testing and timetable simulations on the new extension of the West Midland Metro, also this part is going to run on Battery

I also managed to capture one of these workings today if anyone interested to look at, just next to Birmingham Town Hall Tram Stop.

RailUK Forums

Trainfan344 · 21 Nov 2019

How far is the extension actually going?

Simon Poole · 21 Nov 2019

Trainfan344 said:
How far is the extension actually going?

In the end it will be going onto Edgbaston but they building this part of the extension in parts, next month will be Centenary Square which to be honest isn't far away from New Street Station, there just be two stops, Town Hall and Birmingham Library

duncanp · 22 Nov 2019

There is going to be a new timetable, as well as a fares increase, from December 1st.

https://westmidlandsmetro.com/2019/11/18/metro-refreshes-timetable-and-fares/

An improved timetable and amended fares are being introduced by West Midlands Metro as the tram network gears up for further expansion.
Metro froze prices earlier this year when other public transport operators generally increased fares. The organisation has since carried out a comprehensive review of ticket options and services in advance of opening the Grand Central to Centenary Square extension in Birmingham which is scheduled for December.

The new timetable, including more frequent services on Sunday and an extension to peak period services throughout the week, is to be launched on 1st December whilst tests on the Centenary Square extension continue. Other changes will assist passengers in connecting to early morning rail services from Wolverhampton to London.

New fares will be introduced from 8th December and, whilst some are increasing, Metro customers will save money on a number of single and return ticket options and also when travelling between Bilston and Wolverhampton. As a result of the changes, the overall cost of travelling by tram has increased by just 0.7 per cent – well below the rate of inflation.

Carl Williams, Director of Operations at West Midlands Metro, explained: “We are committed to offering excellent value for money. Tram travel is still one of the least expensive public transport options in the region and we want to keep it that way.

“Clearly our network is growing with the latest extension due to open as soon as final testing and commissioning has been completed.

“As a result, we’re launching a new and improved timetable covering an additional two stops in the heart of Birmingham City Centre and, having frozen prices at the beginning of 2019, we are introducing a new fare structure at the same time.

“Some customers will actually see savings as a result of the changes. Where there have been modest increases they’ve been kept to a minimum and any additional revenue will help fund future improvements to our expanding network.”

For full details of the new timetable click here, and for our new fares click here.

The new timetable shows times at the stop Library, at Centenary Square, although these are greyed out at the moment.

Pete 1981 · 27 Nov 2019

duncanp said:
There is going to be a new timetable, as well as a fares increase, from December 1st.

https://westmidlandsmetro.com/2019/11/18/metro-refreshes-timetable-and-fares/

The new timetable shows times at the stop Library, at Centenary Square, although these are greyed out at the moment.

Amended fares is a great catch-all.

Aictos · 27 Nov 2019

One question tho, will the turnback facility that currently exists at Grand Central/New Street still remain for use during disruption or engineering works?

Or will they simply relocate the facility to the Square?

Ianno87 · 27 Nov 2019

Aictos said:
One question tho, will the turnback facility that currently exists at Grand Central/New Street still remain for use during disruption or engineering works?

Or will they simply relocate the facility to the Square?

It's only two trailing crossovers. No reason to remove either that I can see.

NewSt · 30 Nov 2019

I have heard previously that the extension was due to open on 1st December. Is that still planned to go ahead?

causton · 30 Nov 2019

NewSt said:
I have heard previously that the extension was due to open on 1st December. Is that still planned to go ahead?

The extension is already 'open' for testing - trams are running on it - I've seen quite a few in the evening peak go up to the Library stop to reverse, out of service.

On the 1st - all trams will go up to the Library stop to reverse, but the trams will not be in passenger service.

It can't be long before the extension is open and in passenger service though, I imagine!

Ken Bromage · 30 Nov 2019

Services will start on DE8th

NewSt · 1 Dec 2019

Ken Bromage said:
Services will start on DE8th

Ok, excellent. Thanks for letting me know.

martinr1 · 4 Dec 2019

Yesterday, Tuesday 3rd December, the service trams were turning back at Grand Central with just tram 18 running on the extension

Ken Bromage · 5 Dec 2019

Tram 24 now has batteries plus 2 others noted in the depot as the batteries were seen unvinyled. No official word as to when the opening will be,so looks unlikely to be the Dec 8th date

atsf_fT · 5 Dec 2019

Ken Bromage said:
Tram 24 now has batteries plus 2 others noted in the depot as the batteries were seen unvinyled. No official word as to when the opening will be,so looks unlikely to be the Dec 8th date

Wmm have staff trained now and are ready, there waiting on the block paving to be finished , possible mid week now .

That's 25 and 32 in the yard 26 and 27 are the other two to be done and they will be the last .they are also out today running.
Incidentally 32 was the tram that replaced the last T69 16

duffield · 6 Dec 2019

I'm certainly looking forward to being able to get a tram from New Street/Grand Central to Centenary Square in order to access the 'canal district', I've always hated the walk from New Street - not far at all as the crow flies but I always found it difficult and unpleasant as a pedestrian. I believe there'll be a very cheap 'short hop' fare.

atsf_fT · 6 Dec 2019

Its confusing has to what the names of the two stops will be called.
The route display inside the urbos 3 trams
have the first stop down has "Town Hall "
But it has also been advertised elsewhere has
" Victora square "
Like wise the second stop is called " centenary square" but is also advertised has 'The librairy '
and today while i was travelling on a tram towards brum the driver put the wrong destiation on
and the announcement was repeating that we would be terminating at " The library "
or if you like " centiary square " ?
Yes the staff are confused too.

By the way Tram 19 is to lose its anniversary colours and be just another blue soon .

atsf_fT · 8 Dec 2019

Look out for the raindeers !

Kite159 · 11 Dec 2019

Now open according to the website:

Two more Birmingham city centre tram stops have today been opened to passengers offering direct services to Christmas markets, attractions and shows.

West Midlands Metro trams are from today picking up and dropping off passengers at the new Town Hall and Library stops following successful testing.

A six minute peak time service will now deliver passengers to the Library of Birmingham, Symphony Hall, ICC, Birmingham Rep, the Council House and Town Hall and offices in and around Centenary Square and Victoria Square.

https://westmidlandsmetro.com/2019/...ension-opens-to-passengers-ahead-of-schedule/

dvboy · 12 Dec 2019

Travelled on it this evening from Library to Jewellery Quarter, and there's no noticeable difference in feeling running on battery compared to running under the wires.

The two newly opened stops are called "Library for Centenary Square" and "Town Hall for Victoria Square" on announcements, without the word "for" on signage. I'm not a fan of this naming convention personally, should be the other way around at both if they must reference two landmarks.

Never been a fan of "Grand Central for New Street Station" given Grand Central is the name of the shopping centre above the station, unless Metro are being paid to use that name it shouldn't be on any of the infrastructure.

A shame that for most of the first day of the "wireless" extension, they weren't able to run the other end between Wolverhampton and Wednesbury due to overhead wire damage.

duffield said:
I believe there'll be a very cheap 'short hop' fare.

The hop fare for stations to Jewellery Quarter has increased from £1 to £1.50.

Ashscrivens · 12 Dec 2019

I think the hop fare being increased to £1.50 is a little cheeky, I live in St Pauls and it actually makes me think twice about using it now.

It's only 2 extra stops I'll probably never use, if it was the full lot to Edgbaston then yea I think it's fair. Then again, if the trams busy you never end up having to pay anyway because the conductor either doesn't get to you in time or is trapped in a crowd of people!

Get ticket machines and 'tap on tap off' contactless like Manchester making tickets before boarding a must, they will see the ticket revenue shoot up.

I'd say 6 out of 10 trams I never end up paying for and that's no fault of my own, no other way of buying tickets!

Ianno87 · 12 Dec 2019

dvboy said:
Never been a fan of "Grand Central for New Street Station" given Grand Central is the name of the shopping centre above the station, unless Metro are being paid to use that name it shouldn't be on any of the infrastructure.

Why not? The pupose of stop names is to describe their location. "Grand Central", being a major shopping centre, is pretty reasonable to name a stop after (and a reminder that the stop serves more than just New Street station).

MetroCentre station in Newcastle has existed for many years on the same grounds.

duncanp · 12 Dec 2019

It would be good if they could sort out the interchange between trains and trams at Snow Hill station.

It is ridiculous having the platforms at St Chads adjacent to the platforms at Snow Hill station, yet you have to get off at Bull Street and walk.

If there can be no barrier interchange between trains and trams at Jewellery Quarter and The Hawthorns, then why not at Snow Hill?

edwin_m · 13 Dec 2019

Ianno87 said:
Why not? The pupose of stop names is to describe their location. "Grand Central", being a major shopping centre, is pretty reasonable to name a stop after (and a reminder that the stop serves more than just New Street station).

MetroCentre station in Newcastle has existed for many years on the same grounds.

New Street would be a bad name for the tramstop, as it isn't actually on New Street and nor is the station. Other than renaming the station the only other sensible option would be to call the tramstop "Stephenson Street", but I doubt many locals would know where that was. Apparently the station was called "Grand Central" for a while when it first opened.

duncanp · 13 Dec 2019

They are going to have to think of a new name for the Edgbaston terminus, otherwise a lot of people will alight looking for the cricket ground, which is miles away.

Sheddyone · 13 Dec 2019

duncanp said:
It would be good if they could sort out the interchange between trains and trams at Snow Hill station.

It is ridiculous having the platforms at St Chads adjacent to the platforms at Snow Hill station, yet you have to get off at Bull Street and walk.

If there can be no barrier interchange between trains and trams at Jewellery Quarter and The Hawthorns, then why not at Snow Hill?

They are. They started the building works in the summer.

From the TfWM web site:

At the moment passengers wanting to get from the West Midlands Metro stop at St Chads to trains in Snow Hill Station have to walk down a flight of external steps and then along A4440 Queensway before turning into Livery Street and accessing the station through its second entrance.

Alternatively they have to walk past the Snowhill Three, Two and One office developments and into the main Snow Hill entrance.

The new third entrance will remove both of these external walks and instead give passengers a direct way into the station from the tram stop.

Rail passengers wanting to catch a Metro service will also get direct access without having to leave the station.

Link to the story here:

https://www.tfwm.org.uk/news/new-sn...sengers-direct-link-between-trains-and-trams/

Edited (eventually, sorry) to add quote and describe link as requested by Moderator.

dvboy · 13 Dec 2019

In the meantime you can also use the Livery Street entrance to Snow Hill station rather than walking from Bull Street.

Kite159 · 17 Dec 2019

Has there been any distances worked out for the extension to Library?

Trainfan344 · 25 Feb 2020

Kite159 said:
Has there been any distances worked out for the extension to Library?

Did these get published at all?

Kite159 · 25 Feb 2020

Trainfan344 said:
Did these get published at all?

As per a track diagram on the BLS site:
Grand Central - 20.83 km
Town Hall - 21.14 km
Library - 21.53 km

Distances from Wolverhampton

Trainfan344 · 25 Feb 2020

Thank you!

West Midland Metro Westside Extension

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