Now that its been announced that a passenger service will resume on the West Midlands Metro at some point during week commencing Sunday 5th June its expected that driver (re-)familiarisation will be ramping up over the next week or so (before we presume there will be some test runs of repaired Urbos3 trams, which still remain conspicuous by their absence on the mainline) and this has certainly been the case at the very end of May with several Urbos 100s out on the tramway.
The increase in driver familiarsation was first seen from Sunday 29th May when 38, 41, 42 and 43 were all seen out of the depot before Monday 30th May saw 38, 39, 40 and 41 all in use for this purpose. Its not thought that the trams were running the full length of the (available) system with trams running as far north as Priestfield and as far south as St Chad’s. In a way if this is the case it makes sense as it means they won’t be coming into contact with too much other road traffic although presumably ahead of a service resumption this will take place to make sure that not only tram drivers are used to coming against cars again but that other vehicles are sued to the great big blue things once more!
The aim remains that services will resume between Wolverhampton St George’s and Bull Street from the week commencing Sunday 5th June (the exact date is not yet announced), although the exact service frequency which will be running has yet to be revealed.
At the time of writing this article no Urbos3 trams have been seen out of the depot with all driver familiarisation in the wheels of the newer Urbos 100 trams.
38 pauses at The Hawthorns on 29th May during a Birmingham bound familiarisation run.
Also on 29th May this is 43 heading out on another run at Kenrick Park.
A day later on 30th May at Dartmouth Street where 41 is out.
43 uses the crossover at Priestfield as its used for driver familiarisation on 30th May. (All Photographs by Andy Walters)