“Old(er) and New” this week continues its series on the West Midlands Metro with an original T69 and a newer CAF tram seen at the same location. This time we’re at Soho Benson Road.
The T69 tram we see at Soho Benson Road is 12 which is on its way to Birmingham Snow Hill when captured on camera on 5th June 2008. The tram is in its original fleet livery and as was often the case it also has some external advertising above the windows. This was as far as the T69s went with adverts with none of them either received a full all over advert. 12 would carry on in service for another six and a half years before withdrawal in January 2015. Storage firstly came at Wednesbury Depot before moving to Long Marston March 2016. Its now scrapped.
Onto 21st March 2025 and we’re back at Soho Benson Road where CAF built Urbos3 20 is seen bound for Edgbaston Village, now the terminus for trams heading towards Birmingham. Of note is despite Midland Metro becoming West Midlands Metro and swapping its corporate colours twice the railings leading down to the stop still remain in the original purple and yellow colours! (Both Photographs by Gareth Prior)