Over the past month or so the service on the West Midlands Metro has been heavily dominated by the newer Urbos100 class of trams, with the Urbos3s mainly confined to driver training duties. Indeed its thought that Friday 21st July was the first day for approximately a month that multiple Urbos3s were in service when 28, 31 and 36 were all in service with 37 being used on driver training duties.
The reason for the lack of Urbos3s in service isn’t known but with a large number of the Urbos100s now available for service and the continued frequency of the timetable not needing all trams available to operate, its probably just a case of they haven’t been first choice.
Of note, the use of 28 in service is thought to be the first time that it has run in passenger service since May! The one tram which was sent to Wolverton Works for its body panel repairs, 28 had been back at Wednesbury since July 2022 but despite that had only seen relatively limited use and this became even less as time went on with no sightings recorded between May 2023 and 21st July 2023.
28 is one of the trams to have been named with it carrying the Jasper Carrott name since November 2019. Its caught here along Urbos100 46.
37 was also out on Driver Training. Seen here at The Crescent as well.
36 is caught here running along Bilston Road.
31 was the fourth Urbos3 which was out of the depot. (All Photographs by Andy Walters, 21st July 2023)