In Pictures: Wires come down on West Midlands Metro

If you cast your minds back to those care free days before the pandemic hit and before the biggest problem on the West Midlands Metro was the cracks on the trams you will probably recall that the network suffered fairly regularly from overhead line problems. These have been few and far between in recent years but Friday 14^th July saw them return, causing major disruption and a revised service being operated for much of the day.

The overhead problem was reported late on Thursday 13^th July as a tram departed from Wednesbury Parkway to Wolverhampton St George’s. the location of the wires coming down being just a few hundred yards north of Wednesbury Parkway stop. The exact cause of the wires coming down has now been revealed but the Wolverhampton Express & Star have reported that “the problem is believed to be with the gas tensioners used to keep overhead lines tight, falling onto the track”.

With the wires down a revised service was introduced from the start of the day on Friday 14^th July. This saw trams only able to run between Edgbaston Village and Wednesbury Parkway with the all too familiar ticket acceptance on local buses in place for anyone wanting to get any closer to Wolverhampton. Of note was that service included trams running under battery power between Black Lake and Wednesbury Parkway.

Repairs took place during the day on Friday 14^th and although West Midlands Metro were suggesting earlier in the day that this would take all day, services were able to resume all the way to Wolverhampton St George’s by the evening.

42 arrives at the temporary terminus of Wednesbury Parkway.

Stop board on the track shows trams can go no further.

West Midlands Metro are often criticised for their lack of information but to give credit on this occasion, notices were posted at stops to let people know of the disruption despite the temporary nature of the changes.

Beyond Wednesbury Parkway and a couple of engineers are seen on the track.

Repairs were underway.

A close-up of some of the work which had already taken place. (All Photographs by Andy Walters, 14th July 2023)