Trams will arrive in Dudley in 2024? Wrong! It may not be in service but the first West Midlands Metro tram has already arrived in Dudley with the first built Urbos3 17 being moved on Tuesday 25th October to the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre where it will undergo repairs – this is the first tram to be moved there with a further six expected to follow in due course.
The movement of 17 is part of the wider project to fix the bodyside cracks discovered on the CAF built Urbos3 trams with there not enough capacity at Wednesbury Depot to enable the repairs to be completed quickly enough. We have already seen 28 go to Wolverton Works for the work to take place and now a third location is involved – the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre. There is only space for one at a time to be worked on in Dudley and so no more will make the move until 17 is completed – its not known how long each one will take to repair.
Allely’s Heavy Haulage were contracted to move the tram with 17 departing Wednesbury Depot at 1240 and arriving in Dudley around 50 minutes later.
On the subject of the Urbos3s and no further examples have returned to service in recent weeks. This leaves 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 31, 34, 36 and 37 as having been used since the service resumed in June 2022.
17 has made it to Dudley by the time of this photo – its on Sedgley Road East as it becomes the first West Midlands Metro tram to reach the town, albeit not on tracks!
The tram has now reached the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre and is being manoeuvred into position.
The police outriders keep an eye on proceedings.
17 is backed down into the Innovation Centre for its repairs to begin. (All Photographs by Andy Walters, 25th October 2022)