The wait may still be going on for the start of trams to Wolverhampton Railway Station but every so often we get a little snippet of information which starts to make you think that services may not be that far away (unfortunately, often followed by something which tells you its still some way off). The latest positive development is the forthcoming closure of Piper’s Row for resurfacing work (something which does seem to have happened on several occasions already).
Piper’s Row – which will see trams running along it as they run between the junction with the current line to St George’s and the Railway Station – is to be closed between 14th and 18th August to allow the resurfacing to take place.
In making the announcement the Midland Metro Alliance have confirmed that contractors are currently working on the signalling system and this will then be followed by resurfacing. After that happens then the line should be handed over for testing and driver training. And then it should be a start of passenger services – but no clues on just when that may be. One thing we do know is that the apparent spring opening date is well and truly missed.
Whilst Piper’s Row is closed bus services will be diverted away from the area.
Didn’t they resurface that stretch of road in April?
So if they did resurface in April why four month down the line does it need doing again.
yes they did resurface the road earlier this year and dug it up again
This is ridiculous!
We can now re-open the debate…… Blackpool North Station or Wolverhampton Station first?
I have extensively photographed Piper’s Row’s new surface and the coloured surface for the tram-only lanes.
So many roads are full of potholes and yet, Piper’s Row gets resurfaced twice in one year!!
In the meantime an entire new extension in Prague, from Holyne to Slivenec is about to open after only five months’ work.
Someone is taking the……. !!!!
Blackpool will open next year. If no further delays to the hotel build the latest news is the site will be handed over to Blackpool Transport in December 2023. After driver training/ route testing possibly late Jan early Feb 2024 opening? The hotel itself will be open to guests from Easter 2024 but no need to wait till then for trams to start. My money is on Wolverhampton opening first but time will tell like it always does.?
Boris Johnson saw it running when he was Prime Minister, and that seems an age ago. The pointwork for it was laid eleven years ago. I expect it will need replacing soon before the branch line opens.
We’re not a serious country. The sick man of Europe is also the laughing stock of the world.
Don’t judge all the projects by a couple that have been affected by outside influences. After some teething problems in around 2011 Manchester Metrolink Phase 3 achieved openings of several lines ahead of schedule. The Airport line in particular was opened over 12 months ahead of the original estimated dates and the most recent line to Trafford Centre was a few months ahead.
Sure, but these are major extensions that opened pre-Brexit/Ukraine etc. It’s now 17 years since the Wolverhampton extension was first mooted and it’s only 700 metres…
My reference to outside influences has nothing to do with Brexit or Ukraine. I was referring to a private development causing delays to the North Station extension in Blackpool and delays to Network Rail’s Wolverhampton Station redevelopment in the case of that extension. There was very little that the promoters of either extension could do to influence the third party developments. You also forgot to throw in the third overworked excuse, a pandemic.
The resurfacing of the road is not because there’s anything wrong with it ,there are a few major problems best left silent
But in the end there will nice new tarmac again
On an on it goes – soon they will be awarded the Gold Medal of the British Incompetence Board, if not the Platinum one!
Andy Walters probably knows what is going on, but that doesn’t mean it is right. Latest update is – resurfacing works, Pipers Row will be closed to traffic between Monday 14 and Friday 18 August.