Thursday 16th April 2026 was a momentous day for West Midlands Metro 27 when it escaped from Wednesbury Depot for the first time in quite some time with it being used on driver training.
27 is one of the 21 original Urbos3 trams which were the replacements for the T69s and started to enter service from August 2014. For 27 it was delivered to the depot for the first time on 15th July 2014 and was accepted for service on 15th January 2015. After fitting with batteries it was back in service from 19th February 2020.
Like all of its sisters it then suffered the bodyside crack issues which has seen it end up travelling the road network around the West Midlands and over to the East Midlands several times with repairs undertaken at Dudley and storage at Worksop. Its been to Dudley at least twice (December 2022-January 2023, and August-September 2025) with one recorded trip to Worksop (January-July 2024) also on the logs.
Its exact last use isn’t recorded but looking back at the various available records of regular contributors there isn’t actually any notes of it out since December 2023! Although we think it may have seen some use since that time.
After its last return from Dudley in September 2025 it has spent a lot of time stored in the depot yard at Wednesbury. But now it is back out on the mainline again and although it hasn’t had any passengers on board yet it has now been used for driver training, which is often the first step back from long out of service Urbos3s.
27 is seen in this photo at Wednesbury Parkway when in use on driver training, on what is thought to be its first day out for several years. (Photograph by Andy Walters, 16th April 2026)