Trams come and trams go – and that’s no more certain than on the West Midlands Metro where we regularly see trams sent away for storage or repair, whilst others are readied for a return to service. The last full week of March was another one of change for the fleet with a swap of trams at Dudley whilst a long-term absentee was seen out on test again.
We start off this time by looking at the long-term absentee which was on test – and if you read our recent behind the scenes article it will probably come as no surprise as to what that tram was! It was “celebrity” 31 – the tram that not only carries the Cyrille Regis 1958-2018 name stickers but also associated vinyls including a silhouette of the late former West Bromwich Albion striker (amongst other teams) – which had been seen in the workshops at Wednesbury Depot during a tour for LRTA members earlier in the month.
With the work having progressed sufficiently the tram was able to escape the confines of the depot for the first time in some time on Thursday 27th March 2025 when it was out on test. Its not know the last time that the tram was used in service but the last time it was featured on these very pages was in February 2024 when it was loaded for a trip to Worksop and storage. 31 is a tram which has not made a trip to Dudley for repairs.
And as we talking about Dudley – and more specifically the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre – there has been another switch over of trams there. The facility is once again being used for repairs to the Urbos3 fleet and this year we’ve already seen 36 go to and come back from there after work was completed.
36 had originally been joined by 34 on heading over to Dudley and now the lower numbered tram has now come back to Wednesbury after its own repairs were completed. The tram was back on West Midlands Metro metals again during the morning of Thursday 27th March 2025 – work will still be needed to re-commission it for service (36 itself may have been back at the start of the month but had yet to be prepared for service).
With 34 back at Wednesbury that means another tram has gone to Dudley and that is 28, which made the move on Wednesday 26th March. It has joined 21 at the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre which has been there since 4th March.
31 comes back to Wednesbury Depot as it coasts through the third platform at Wednesbury Parkway. (Photograph by Andy Walters, 27th March 2025)