If you cast your mind back to June/July 2022 you may remember that West Midlands Metro Urbos3 28 departed Wednesbury Depot for Wolverton Works where it would receive repairs to the bodyside cracks. The tram spent around a month there before it returned to its home tramway but its use since its return has not been extensive. It does now seem to have settled into more regular use though as seen in this pictorial update.
28 was the first of the Urbos3 trams which was sent away for repairs. At the time it was expected that it could be followed by up to another four to Wolverton but after its return in July 2022 no other vehicles went that way and indeed we had to wait until October before more trams went away for repairs when 17 and 26 were sent to the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre in Dudley.
After its return 28 went through re-commissioning and was briefly seen in service but then went missing from service again. However, on Saturday 19th November it was back in service once more when 12 trams were seen in action (including a changeover).
With 28 confirmed as back in use the following Urbos3 trams have now been used since services resumed in June: 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 28, 31, 34, 36, 37.
28 pauses at Grand Central on the way to Edgbaston Village. The pantograph is still up but before it departs it will come down with it running on battery power.
Another shot of 28 as it pulls into Town Hall when on its return trip to Wolverhampton St George’s. (Both Photographs by Michael Morton, 19th November 2022)