Despite having been in the West Midlands since October 2013 the very first of the Urbos 3 trams, 17, has yet to enter passenger service and indeed has made very few public appearances save for some testing in July 2014. However this has now changed with the tram being seen out and about on the extended Midland Metro network over the past few days.
Just what the issues preventing 17 from being prepared for service before now have never been officially revealed but in recent months, following the entry into service of 37 (the last of the other Urbos 3s to carry passengers), attention has turned once again to 17 to prepare it for an entry into service. This work has now obviously reached the stage where 17 can take to the main line for testing and mileage accumulation work to commence.
Meanwhile services to Grand Central (New Street Station) have now started to well and truly become part of the outlook for Birmingham City Centre. For the first time the peak service requires 15 trams with 12 required for the standard daytime service. One incident which did see disruption for Midland Metro occurred on Wednesday 8th June when heavy rainfall caused debris to be washed onto the tracks at Black Lake and Dudley Street whilst there was damage to the tracks between Handsworth and The Hawthorns. Also on this day there were problems just as the service was resuming with a tram failing at Loxdale.
17 approaches Wednesbury Parkway on 8th June.
On 9th June and 17 arrives into Birmingham City Centre.
17 at the very end of the line in Stephenson Street with a further two trams behind at the Grand Central stop. (All Photographs by Andy Walters)
I know what the issue was – it was being used as spare parts for other trams.
A lot more than just being robbed of parts
The staggered tracks at the end of the line remind me of Edinburgh’s truncated line at York Place.
Lol well that’s all they said to me 🙂
Tram 17 viewed on test again today (27th). Notices in the windows warned that the
tram was not in service and undergoing “endurance testing”