West Midlands Metro are now the proud operators of five battery fitted trams following the return to service of 28. The tram continues to run in the old Network West Midlands livery of Magenta and White – still leaving 31 as the only tram in the new Blue livery – and was first spotted operating in passenger service at the beginning of November.
28 entering service means that five of the 21 Urbos3 trams are now installed with batteries which will allow them to run in service on sections of the West Midlands Metro system which won’t be fitted with overhead wires (both in Birmingham and Wolverhampton city centres – currently under construction). The five are 18, 21, 28, 31 and 36 – eventually all the trams will be so fitted.
Meanwhile, despite having now been back at Wednesbury for over seven months since receiving repairs at Wolverton following a derailment at the depot it appears that 26 is still awaiting a return to service.
28 at Corporation Street on the evening of 2nd November. (Photograph by Mark Cufflin)
Last few photo on link
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/uks-first-modern-bi-mode-electric-battery-tram.163532/
Anyone know the time frame for the rest of fleet to be painted in the blue livery