{"id":65002,"date":"2026-10-17T22:00:19","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T21:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/?p=65002"},"modified":"2026-10-17T21:23:25","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T20:23:25","slug":"in-pictures-overnight-testing-on-the-dudley-extension","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/?p=65002","title":{"rendered":"In Pictures: Overnight testing on the Dudley extension"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The wait may be continuing for the start of passenger services on the Black Country line but little by little we are gradually getting closer with the line now having been officially handed over to West Midlands Metro from the Midland Metro Alliance.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>This handover has been swiftly followed by significant overnight testing with eight trams out to simulate a full service on the line. This has happened on two occasions so far with one more expected before the next stage of preparations gets underway \u2013 driver training.<\/p>\n<p>The first night of these tests took place after the normal service had ended on Wednesday 14<sup>th<\/sup> October and this was followed 24 hours later by another full simulated service.<\/p>\n<p>On the first night trams <strong>17<\/strong>, <strong>18<\/strong>, <strong>19<\/strong>, <strong>24<\/strong>, <strong>28<\/strong>, <strong>33<\/strong>, <strong>36<\/strong> and <strong>44<\/strong> were used between 0130 and 0345 with <strong>18<\/strong>, <strong>19<\/strong>, <strong>21<\/strong>, <strong>24<\/strong>, <strong>28<\/strong>, <strong>33<\/strong>, <strong>36<\/strong> and <strong>44<\/strong> used on the second night. Both <strong>18<\/strong> and <strong>44<\/strong> have been used for testing on the extension for a while with the others joining in the fun on these occasions.<\/p>\n<p>Although the leader of Dudley Council had stated he had been told the line would open on 1<sup>st<\/sup> November, no official date has ever been mentioned by either Transport for West Midlands or West Midlands Metro. Indeed the only official word has been \u201cautumn 2026\u201d which still gives two months for public services to get underway.<\/p>\n<p>The Black Country line (as it has been named in official literature) leaves the original Birmingham to Wolverhampton line at Wednesbury Great Western via Tipton Junction. It then travels on the former South Staffordshire railway line towards Dudley before terminating at Flood Street.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_65003\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1.33-aw.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-65003\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-65003\" src=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1.33-aw-550x339.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"339\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1.33-aw-550x339.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1.33-aw-768x474.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1.33-aw.jpg 1063w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-65003\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">33 rounds the corner close to the Flood Street terminus during the overnight tests.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_65004\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2.19-aw.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-65004\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-65004\" src=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2.19-aw-550x345.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"345\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2.19-aw-550x345.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2.19-aw-768x481.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2.19-aw.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-65004\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">19 also out on test.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_65005\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3.28-aw.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-65005\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-65005\" src=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3.28-aw-550x327.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3.28-aw-550x327.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3.28-aw-768x457.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3.28-aw.jpg 1042w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-65005\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">28 is seen at the Dudley Interchange tramstop.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_65006\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/4.24-aw.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-65006\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-65006\" src=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/4.24-aw-550x339.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"339\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/4.24-aw-550x339.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/4.24-aw-768x474.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/4.24-aw.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-65006\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">24 pauses.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_65007\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5.36-aw.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-65007\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-65007\" src=\"http:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5.36-aw-550x338.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5.36-aw-550x338.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5.36-aw-768x472.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5.36-aw.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-65007\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The animals are all tucked up in bed unaware of the historic testing taking place outside their home as we see 36 on test passing the entrance to Dudley Zoo. (All Photographs by Andy Walters)<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The wait may be continuing for the start of passenger services on the Black Country line but little by little we are gradually getting closer with the line now having been officially handed over to West Midlands Metro from the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/?p=65002\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65002"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=65002"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65002\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65008,"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65002\/revisions\/65008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=65002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=65002"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.britishtramsonline.co.uk\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=65002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}