Midland Metro

[Bungle965]

Great to see all new metros now

It may be great to see them but for the actual passenger experience it has got worse the seats are VERY uncomfortable compared to the old trams and the urbos reliability at the moment is also not very good.
Allot of people prefer the old to the new.
Sam

 

[Simon11]

Are National Rail tickets valid on the Midland Metro? For example, if I were to purchase a ticket from Leamington to The Hawthorns, would it be valid?

Cheers!

Nope, not currently valid

 

[baz52]

The new trams are much better more space more frequent too later in the year, and better on tram space for disabled people too, and can carry more people, yes maybe the seats not as nice as the old ones but that goes for more systems nowdays , maybe cheaper to maintain, anyway you cant run an modern system with old ones !

 

[bb21]

End-to-end the Metro is only 35 minutes. Not much point in investing in more comfy seats.

 

[Bungle965]

The new trams are much better more space more frequent too later in the year, and better on tram space for disabled people too, and can carry more people, yes maybe the seats not as nice as the old ones but that goes for more systems nowdays , maybe cheaper to maintain, anyway you cant run an modern system with old ones !

You make some valid points but although they carry more people they don't seat more people. And who says that you can't run old trams on modern systems?

 

[bb21]

You can run old trams but their size means severe overcrowding during peak times.

 

[SS4]

Are National Rail tickets valid on the Midland Metro? For example, if I were to purchase a ticket from Leamington to The Hawthorns, would it be valid?

Cheers!

Afraid not but PlusBus and Daytrippers are

 

[baz52]

Yes it is 35 mins terminal to terminal at the moment, but with the new extension s, at both cities then it will be longer, plus at the birmingham end there will be others too, so will be a system that can be proud of , and also realy great for the city too, there is plenty to read about it, I think it compares well with lots of others for say seating etc,

 

[Robertj21a]

Yes it is 35 mins terminal to terminal at the moment, but with the new extension s, at both cities then it will be longer, plus at the birmingham end there will be others too, so will be a system that can be proud of , and also realy great for the city too, there is plenty to read about it, I think it compares well with lots of others for say seating etc,

What is this 'at the Birmingham end there will be others [extensions] too' ? - you've mentioned Merry Hill before but I've never seen anything authorised for *any* further extension at the Birmingham end.

Is this just your 'wish list' but based on no facts whatsoever ?

 

[baz52]

Hi robert, nope ive never said anything about merry hill, anyway at the birmingham end city centre, they are building, one already almost completed, to NS, opens very soon, plus then up to centenary sq, opens in about 3 yrs ish, plus the exstention to the coach stn other direction, so not just a wish list, and also there is one going to Wolverhampton city centre too, opens soon I think, anyway there is plenty on the centro website about it .

 

[gord]

Those extensions that Baz mentions will happen. It will be Centenary Square next. Wolverhampton should go ahead too but I think that will tie in with the railway station being developed. Digbeth may depend on what happens with HS2. This is all information freely open to the public and is on Centro's website.

Any other extension you read about, the airport or Merry Hill, are only ideas right now. However, those ideas have been knocking about since the Metro began and nothing has happened. I'm sure Centro and National Express would love to have them on the system though.

Like I said before, the city centre running should do loads to promote the Metro and hopefully it will kick off lots of other developments. Just having the trams visible to shoppers on the street instead of them hiding away under Snow Hill should help their profile a lot. Hopefully, it'll get people in other parts of the West Midlands thinking, "Hang on, where have these trams come from and why haven't we got them?!"

 

[SS4]

What is this 'at the Birmingham end there will be others [extensions] too' ? - you've mentioned Merry Hill before but I've never seen anything authorised for *any* further extension at the Birmingham end.

Is this just your 'wish list' but based on no facts whatsoever ?

Centenary Square and Eastside

Whether or not they'll actually occur, let alone when, remains to be seen especially in the light of the economic climate

 

[baz52]

Infact it says on the centro website that funding has been announced for the exstention s, so we will see those others built over the next few years, and anyway the whole point of the rebuilding and line to other parts of the city centre erea and beyound in future, is to drive economic investment , you only have to look at the up and coming business investment which is fantasic for the city. And thanks Gord pleased that you have seen the future plans etc ref metro.

 

[gord]

Infact it says on the centro website that funding has been announced for the exstention s, so we will see those others built over the next few years, and anyway the whole point of the rebuilding and line to other parts of the city centre erea and beyound in future, is to drive economic investment , you only have to look at the up and coming business investment which is fantasic for the city. And thanks Gord pleased that you have seen the future plans etc ref metro.

Anything I've seen is no different to what's out there available to the public.

 

[baz52]

Yes Gord your quite right but thanks anyway, just want people to see how well the city is doing and be positive about all the great investment the metro and also HS2 too,

 

[fishquinn]

Nope, not currently valid

Thanks.

 

[baz52]

Hi all just thought would post some news about the midland metro, the work is progress well , most of the new trams are in service,

 

[martinr1]

Hi, a brief look at the now closed Snow Hill terminus and a look at the work in progress to ready the tracks for New Street extension

https://youtu.be/KmGkvXMudXc

 

[dvboy]

When the track was relaid at Wolverhampton St Georges, one of the platforms was taken out of use.

This is to be turned into a coach stop, so from April 2016 National Express coaches will stop in a designated area in Bilston Street rather than on the street in Pipers Row.

Article and pictures at:

http://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/art...ity-boost-for-Wolverhampton-Interchange-plans

 

[baz52]

Thats great news regarding the tram stop in Wolverhampton, anyway the tram works are proggressing realy well, at the point between st pauls and the new metro stop at snow hill, new metro stop there, both new tracks have been connected to the original track, and also the new bull street tram stop is looking almost completed, and work is going well on the tram stop in corporations street, but there is a long way to go on that one, and also work has started on the OHL systems, which is proggressing nicely. so pleased to say it looking realy nice so far.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
There is some pictures about the tram works and info on the british trams online website. dated yesterday 6th November.

 

[GazUk]

It won't be long before they start testing the trams along the streets, just wondering though whats next for the midland metro?
Will it be for the route to be extended further along the streets to five ways (which would cause a few more traffic jams along it's intended route whilst under construction) OR the link from the existing line 1 (just by the Tram depot) down to dudley and to the Brierly Hill Shopping centre??

 

[baz52]

Hi Gazuk there is some info on the centro website about the next exstention to centenary sq,

 

[GazUk]

Hi Gazuk there is some info on the centro website about the next exstention to centenary sq,

Cheers for that Baz, i kind of have a scour around alot of the sites (also lurk quite a bit on the skyscraper city site a bit ) But they always seem to say the same-Although it is really amazing to see the progress of the work.
I guess the extension to centenary Sq and also the link at Around Wolverhampton will be done at a later stage?

I think the East side project will be some years off though (Until the HS2 final 100% plans are announced) but for me though i think Centro, the councils of Dudley,Sandwell and maybe Birmingham too should really push for the Merry Hill Extension to happen, not only for commuter reasons,but also for Leisure and Tourism purposes- i guess it would cost alot of funding for it to happen,but i'd say if it did eventually go ahead, for all parties concerned they would reap the profits back quite easily at a late stage.

 

[baz52]

Your welcome Gazuk , the scc site is very good always updated and british trams online is quite good but updated less often but good anyway, and yes the eastside exstention is quite a way off but centenary square only be a about 2 or 3 yrs before completing, so thats more exciting news for the city and handy for getting around town too, and good to look at the centro website too now and again for updates and news,
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Hi all Great news on the NWM website today the Midland metro starts running to city centre bull st on the 6th December and testing to NS and corporations st in December too. Full details on the news section network westmidlands website,

 

[Techniquest]

Yeehaa, nearly there at last!

 

[sprinterguy]

I see that the orange vests are being made to work like maniacs trying to finish off the new Bull Street tram stop before the Queen turns up to open it next Thursday.
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/queen-heads-city-see-new-10419985

I'm not sure how they're going to pull it off, if they're going to have a tram sitting up there for her to name and take a quick look around: The rails for the new extension have indeed been connected up to the existing line towards St Pauls as baz52 says, but while the twin track cantilevers have been installed down the new ramp behind Snow Hill up to the end of the supporting wall for the car park above the station, that still leaves a great big gap in the electrification masts between St Pauls and Snow Hill. And, of course, there's no signs of any contact wires yet. Though perhaps they're going to bring a tram in by road?

The new Snow Hill stop is still a building site, although I suppose that won't matter for the Queen's visit, and I have been impressed with the rapid pace at which the headspans have been put in place over Bull Street and down Corporation Street towards New Street station.

 

[baz52]

Yes the work is progressing well, btw it isnt that far from the SH metro line by the old metro station to st pauls maybe a couple of hundred yards , so shouldnt take long to get the OHL system up and running, and also both tracks are connected to to the new tramline into city centre, , and also when the new trams was delivered to midland metro , they was pulled in by a short of shunter truck on rails, (into the tram depot. ) there is some pic I think on that on the scc site! But hopefully should have the OHL finished by then, and also the section from bull st to new st wont be opened till after the new year 2016,

 

[nottinghamcity]

The Birmingham Mail article cites a cost of the extension.
Interesting, I see an inconsistency here:
NET phase 2. 27 new stops, 1 relocated, 17.5km line, substantial redevelopment of Nottingham station area, meadows and Beeston, 2 new P&R sites. £570M
Midland Metro extension. 2 new stops, 1 relocated, 1km line, no significant redevelopment. £128M
Suspect there is more to it...

 

[sprinterguy]

Yes the work is progressing well, btw it isnt that far from the SH metro line by the old metro station to st pauls maybe a couple of hundred yards

Fair enough, it seems to look further from the (main line) platforms at Snow Hill. I note in fact, just a day after my last post, that catenary posts have now been installed about halfway to St Pauls, so there's some rapid progress!

 

[tramdan]

The Birmingham Mail article cites a cost of the extension.
Interesting, I see an inconsistency here:
NET phase 2. 27 new stops, 1 relocated, 17.5km line, substantial redevelopment of Nottingham station area, meadows and Beeston, 2 new P&R sites. £570M
Midland Metro extension. 2 new stops, 1 relocated, 1km line, no significant redevelopment. £128M
Suspect there is more to it...

Perhaps the £128m accounts for the entire extension through to New Street, or even to Centenary Square?