What hope for light rail expansion in the UK?

[stuu]

Most trams these days in the UK/North America are either from Siemens, or derived from Siemens, and they tend to all follow the same standard designs, so an off-the-shelf design could be built and in operation within 18 months of order.

The only Siemens trams in the UK are in Sheffield. Bombardier/Alstom built the majority, by quite a margin

 

[Julia]

In Birmingham at the weekend, went out on a bus along Hagley Road and noted the Edgbaston terminus of the trams. Can anyone explain why it was sited to the south side of the road, clearly making sure it's forever going to be a dead end, when it could have been aligned ready to carry on down the main road at some future point in time?

 

[Bald Rick]

In Birmingham at the weekend, went out on a bus along Hagley Road and noted the Edgbaston terminus of the trams. Can anyone explain why it was sited to the south side of the road, clearly making sure it's forever going to be a dead end, when it could have been aligned ready to carry on down the main road at some future point in time?

So it’s easy to get to for passengers, compared to being in the middle of a dual carriageway.

and it‘s location doesn’t rule out an extension.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

In todays budget the govt committed a further 8.8B to City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements

Spring Budget announces that the government is committing £8.8 billion for a second round of the programme covering 2027-28 to 2031-32, with
funding for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands to be included in their Single Settlements

Doesn't say what schemes but at least long term planning can be continued

 

[duncanp]

In Birmingham at the weekend, went out on a bus along Hagley Road and noted the Edgbaston terminus of the trams. Can anyone explain why it was sited to the south side of the road, clearly making sure it's forever going to be a dead end, when it could have been aligned ready to carry on down the main road at some future point in time?

Does anyone know what is going on with the hoarding at Edgbaston terminus?

It has been up there since before the extension was opened last July, and there is no sign of any work being done to finish off the kerb and build a permanent bus stop.

The current location of the Edgbaston terminus does not preclude an extension further West along Hagley Road any more than the original Island Gardens station on the DLR precluded an extension under the river to Greenwich and Lewisham.