Article updated 27th August with photo added.
The West Midlands Metro fleet has taken one further step towards having a more uniform look as another of the Urbos 100 trams which were carrying adverts is now back in full fleet livery. Coming just a couple of days after 58 went back to blue, 44 is now also running around in the standard fleet colours.
44 had received an advert for The National Trust and their Blossom Watch campaign in March 2024. As with the KFC advert we saw come off a few days previous, this was an advert which had also been seen on a tram in Manchester Metrolink. But whereas the one in Manchester was rapidly taken off – lasting only March to May 2024 – the vinyls on 44 had remained firmly in place, until now that is!
Mid-August saw the adverts taken off the tram and it was soon back in service in the standard fleet livery.
It now just leaves 45 in an advert – and this tram is likely to remain with its City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra vinyls for a while yet as it was announced earlier this summer that the partnership between the two organisations had been extended for a further 12 months.
44 back in full fleet livery after the removal of its adverts for The National Trust. This was West Bromwich Central. (Photograph by Michael Morton, 22nd August 2024)