The previously announced Midland Metro closure between Priestfield and Wolverhampton St George’s has been confirmed as starting from Sunday 11th June with the hope that it will be completed in time for Christmas.
As we reported last month it is planned the track between Priestfield and The Royal will be replaced during this six month closure along with the installation of improved drainage and a new road surface. In total 2.7km of track will be replaced during the closure (this section of line is 1.35km in length).
A replacement bus service – numbered 79E – will run between The Crescent and Wolverhampton Bus Station throughout the closure running up to every 5 minutes during peak times. The normal 79 bus service will also run.
Midland Metro will operate a revised service, details of which have yet to be announced.
Replacing less than one route-mile of track to take six months?! Our Victorian ancestors would be horrified: the whole Snaefell Mountain Railway was built, from scratch, in not much more time than this.
I agree with Geoff regarding the length of time it takes to replace one mile of tram track. Has anyone ever explained why it takes so long to plan and construct new build light rail or to replace relatively short lengths of track in this country. The Victorian engineers would indeed be horrified.
but last time it was delayed when they found the mine, so they might be playing it safe and giving themselves longer to complete task.
I agree totally with Chris Rose. One could add to that, why can we not build turnouts with sweeping curves rather than ones which seem to have escaped from some child’s model railway, so sharp are they. The latest incarnation of this nonsense is the link between Sheffield’s Metro and the new Tram-Train line to Rotherham. THIS IS NOT NECESSARY – if in doubt for goodness’ sake go to Europe. Are we total nincompoops? Also read the trackwork article in the current issue of the LRTA’s magazine, ‘Tramways and Urban Transit’.