The relationship between the West Midlands Metro and local universities has been strengthened with a third different institution taking out an advert on a tram on the network. The latest tram to receive advertising vinyls is 51 and its now advertising the University of Wolverhampton.
With 51 receiving the adverts it’s the first time this particular tram has gone away from standard fleet livery since it arrived in the West Midlands in March 2023. 51 is the seventeenth of the CAF built trams (Urbos3 and Urbos100) which have now carried adverts and the third to currently doing so.
The bulk of the advert may not look like an advert at all as it has a blue background very similar to the West Midlands Metro fleet livery but it does see many of the windows covered whilst the centre section is yellow with large letting “EVERY STORY HAS A START”.
As mentioned above, this is the third local university to advertise with a full wrap on a tram in the West Midlands. It was started by University of Birmingham with an advert between May and September 2022 on 39 before 58 started to advertise Birmingham City University in September 2024 (an advert it retains). If you include the advert for the Metro Training Academy on 22 (July 2021-September 2023) that’s four wraps for education!
There are now three trams carrying ads on the network – 36 (Aston Villa store) and the aforementioned 58 (Birmingham City University) being the others.
The new advert on 51 is seen in this view as the tram makes the call at Wednesbury Great Western Street.
With Ozzy Osbourne performing his farewell concerts at Villa Park on this day, 45 has received the names which had previously been seen on 37. 45 is a tram which lost advertising vinyls a little while ago which has left its livery looking a little bit sorry for itself. (Both Photographs by Shiv Patel, 5th July 2025)