One to file under the “not really a surprise” category – it has been announced that the West Midlands Metro extension to Wolverhampton Railway Station has been delayed once more with trams now not expected to run until “Spring 2023”. The latest estimate had been Autumn 2022 but due to “unforeseen supply chain constraints” a further delay is now expected – it had originally been hoped it would open in 2020.
Director of the Midland Metro Alliance, Peter Cushing, said: “Much of this main construction is now completed with efforts moving to systems integration ahead of a period of testing and commissioning, driver familiarisation and timetable simulation. Due to unforeseen supply chain constraints, a key piece of infrastructure which is required to automatically control signals at the junction of Pipers Row and Bilston Street, has taken longer to arrive. Options were explored for West Midlands Metro services to only serve new stops at Pipers Row and Railway Plaza temporarily in order for the scheme to open to passengers in 2022. In recognition of the importance of the St George’s tram stop’s prime location for access to shopping, particularly during the festive period, a decision has been made to open the line in its entirety in spring 2023 when this new equipment is installed and tested.”
The problem looks like its down to equipment needed to automatically control the signals at the junction of Bilston Street and Pipers Row. This has been delayed which has in turn delayed the completion of all infrastructure on the extension which will run along Piper’s Row and Railway Drive to a new terminus outside the railway station. An intermediate stop will also be provided at the bus station on Piper’s Row.
Mr Cushing is also quoted in the Wolverhampton Express and Star: “We are saying spring next year but we are working as hard as possible to get it done as early as possible in that timeframe.” Of course Spring could be as late as June or as early as March so it remains to be seen just when in those three months it could be considered to open.
The news of the latest delay has been met with anger in Wolverhampton. Cllr Simon Simkins, Deputy Leader of Wolverhampton City Centre, said: “his delay is another catastrophe for the people of Wolverhampton, this whole Metro extension has been one catastrophe after another. The blame has to be laid at the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Mayor Andy Street. The Black Country always loses out, they are getting on with the Birmingham Eastside Metro extension alright but when it comes to Wolverhampton it is one thing after another. The extension was meant to be ready for the Commonwealth Games and then we were told it would be ready for the Christmas shopping period and now to hear it has been delayed again is such a let down. We want people to visit Wolverhampton and the towns along the Metro line using public transport but as it is you cannot blame people for not getting out their cars.”
Nicky Haigh, project sponsor at Travel for West Midlands, explained more of what has caused the latest delay: “The Wolverhampton extension has been quite a challenging project we had lockdown, Covid and the station rebuild went on longer than we thought. We have got the track in, and what we are doing now is installing the systems which is the more tricky bit, then we will be testing, then driver training and then the trams will be running. Installing light rail in a city centre is a incredibly difficult and complex to delivery, with highway job you have not got the rail element, and with heavy rail work there is not road element, with light rail there is both and then there is the utilities under the road which is why we could not run the tram down Wolverhampton High Street.”
The question now is when Spring arrives will we be talking of the service starting or will it be talk of a delay to the Summer or Autumn?
Visited Wolverhampton today and noted the terminus platform still being constructed.
Maybe the Blackpool North extension will get in there first after all!!!
Why can’t we do tramways like they do in Europe? It doesn’t take this long to lay short extensions!!!
For those who do not know what I am talking about here, look up “Depo Hostivar” in Prague. In April 2022, when I was there, it was muddy construction site. In August 2022, a brand new multi-track tram, bus and metro interchange in operation – four months!!! – not four or more years!
If we are serious about light rail in this country, we need to do it properly.
So Blackpool North Station v Wolverhampton “Railway Plaza” (Railway Station). Perhaps we should open a book on it????!!!
The question is where is this equipment coming from? If overseas then why not British made equipment or is the parts that make the equipment coming from overseas stuck in some container base waiting clearance to leave the port
Quite a few widgits and bits have come from the Ukraine in the past. The equipment may be British but some of the components may come from other places. The Intercity New Generation train for NS are being built in Poland. The delays are bad and one reason has been the supply of bits from the Ukraine. Car production worldwide was being affected by problems with the supply of microchips, which I think mostly come from Taiwan. Similar to the Ukraine, Taiwan is having its own problems with a noisy neighbour, although their neighbour hasn’t taken over the kitchen yet.
You have to wonder why this piece of equipment wasnt noted to be available ‘off the shelf’ and got in as one of the first things delivered to the company constructing it?
Maybe it would also have been cheaper than it is to get now too?
C. on a B., what are these puppets playing at?
The junction was the first thing done round about 2017/18 or 2018/19 before the main construction why wasn’t that bit if equipment not ordered at the start of construction.
I totally fail to understand why trams need signals? Traditional trams never had signals, even when operating on single tracks with passing loops. Unlike trains, trams are driven ‘on sight’, meaning it is the driver’s responsibility to look if it is safe to proceed. At busy road junctions trams can use a phase connected to normal traffic lights. It all seems mightily over-complicated to me.
Trams only have dedicated LRT signals at locations off highway where conflicting movements may occur. Single line sections off highway often cannot provide the ability for drivers entering a section to observe trams at the opposite end and therefore some form of control is needed. Similar conditions may apply at converging or crossing junctions off highway where relatively high speeds are involved again requiring some form of control.
At on highway locations where conflicting movements involving other road users are involved trams use normal highway traffic signal controllers allied with approved tramway signal heads. Trams require dedicated detection systems though to interface with the traffic signal controllers.
Simply saying that because first generation trams operated without signals second generation trams can operate under the same conditions does not hold water as the environment in which they operate are very different.
Britain is a very incompetent country. Nobody is accountable; someone else is always to blame when something goes wrong. In the medieval period, they used to blame the witches for their failings. Now they find other scapegoats, never themselves.
I understand what you say but the real problem is that we are extremely risk averse which is no surprise given that if any body was to put their head above the parapet and take responsibility for any design or decision there is always a queue of other bodies and individuals only too willing to engage the services of the legal profession to challenge that decision. Who in their right mind these days would do what British Rail did within 4 hours of the Clapham rail disaster and stand up and admit responsibility. It is very easy to sit back in your armchair and criticise.
A Chinese friend once told me that over the centuries China had stagnated in periods when legalism and ritual reigned supreme. Nothing could be done without tortuous legal procedures that lasted for years, and/or protracted and arcane rituals being performed, The UK now seems to be going though one of these periods of disempowerment.