Work is now starting on extending Midland Metro at both ends of the current line with the commencement of road closures and diversions at Wolverhampton to allow the first construction works to take place. Bus services were diverted from Sunday 18th March and the location of the works will also affect the bus station.
The first stage will see enabling works take place before the main construction on the tram route starts after the Easter weekend with a planned for completion date of the summer. Trams won’t start running on the line until all works are completed in connection with the new transport interchange at Wolverhampton Railway Station – in 2020.
Cones everywhere – a sign as good as any that work is starting!
The work compound. (Both Photographs by Andy Walters, 22nd March 2018)
TfWM was its usually highly efficient self and only included one route change in its weekly update despite the 79 and 126, amongst others, no longer using the bus station.
Completion in 2018 then no tram service until 2020? Not even gauging and test runs? All that money spent to build it and then it doesn’t operate for 2 years! It looks like another classic case of British dilatoriness.
I think the statement in the press release may be misleading. The whole line won’t be ready until 2020 because of the delays in the railway station redevelopment and as such trams won’t be able to start running until that is ready. The bulk of the onstreet works – which I presume is the track laying – are due to be completed by the summer.