West Midlands Metro Tracklaying in Brum

[melmerby]

The funding for the continuation of the Broad Street line was confirmed at the start of this month with completion expected by 2021

 

Nobody had posted before so here is the link to the announcement:

 

http://www.metroalliance.co.uk/tram-extension-to-edgbaston-gets-59-8m-green-light-from-government/

 

Also announced a week ago was the installation of the junction to serve Piper's Row and the railway station:

http://www.metroalliance.co.uk/future-wolverhampton-tram-extension/

 

Keith

Edited September 28, 2017 by melmerby

[Edwin_m]

Visited Brum last week for the first time in a while, and the area between the Town Hall and the concert hall looks as if it's been the victim one of Kim Jong Un's latest creations.  Is any of this is tram-related? 

[melmerby]

Visited Brum last week for the first time in a while, and the area between the Town Hall and the concert hall looks as if it's been the victim one of Kim Jong Un's latest creations.  Is any of this is tram-related? 

The whole of Paradise Circus is being rebuilt and the whole of Centenary Square area is being reworked, as well as much of the area opposite.

None to do with the tram works directly but they are being taken account of during the "remodelling" that is taking place.

 

E.g the gilded statue of Boulton, Watt and Murdoch, which was out side the former Register Office, has gone into storage as it would be in the way, as has Antony Gormley's Iron: Man from in front of the old GPO building by the Town Hall.

 

Birmingham is going through one of it's never-ending re-building phases.

It'll be nice when they finally (?) finish all the work!

 

Cheers

 

Keith

[Edwin_m]

as has Antony Gormley's Iron: Man from in front of the old GPO building by the Town Hall.

I have a three-day conference in that building next month.  Oh joy...

[melmerby]

Prelimanary work has started for the extension, to the ICC and eventually on to Five Ways, in front of the Town Hall.

 

The top end of Hill Street from Swallow Street & Paradise Street are both closed to traffic as part of this work:

 

Hill Street:

 

 

Paradise Street both ends:

 

Tram 18 has now returned from CAF and is currently running trials using the newly installed Li-ion batteries.

Once that has proven successful the remaining trams will be retrofitted at Wednesbury Depot.

 

The new ones on order will be supplied ready fitted from CAF

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

[TheSignalEngineer]

 

 

Birmingham is going through one of it's never-ending re-building phases.

It'll be nice when they finally (?) finish all the work!

 

Cheers

 

Keith

'Twas ever so. This is the first verse of a song written by local entertainer James Dobbs in the 1820s

 

Full twenty years and more are passed

Since I left Brummagem.

But I set out for home at last

To good old Brummagem.

But ev'ry place is altered so

Now there's hardly a place I know

Which fills my heart with grief and woe

For I can't find Brummagem.

 

 

Harvey Andrews did a parody verse about trying to find his way from the City Centre to St Andrews Football ground after three years away in his 1960s song 'Good Old Brummegem'. The market Hall had gone, Nelson's statue had moved from its old position in the Bull Ring and Snow Hill station was in its death throes..

Edited October 16, 2017 by TheSignalEngineer

[melmerby]

'Twas ever so. This is the first verse of a song written by local entertainer James Dobbs in the 1820s

 

Full twenty years and more are passed

Since I left Brummagem.

But I set out for home at last

To good old Brummagem.

But ev'ry place is altered so

Now there's hardly a place I know

Which fills my heart with grief and woe

For I can't find Brummagem.

 

 

Harvey Andrews did a parody verse about trying to find his way from the City Centre to St Andrews Football ground after three years away in his 1960s song 'Good Old Brummegem'. The market Hall had gone, Nelson's statue had moved from its old position in the Bull Ring and Snow Hill station was in its death throes..

I'm old enough to remember the two previous versions of Brum centre (Post war & 1960s re-hash).

I can even rememember a trip on a tram to the Lickeys! (I wasn't very old)

It is a perennial joke amongst Brummies that it'll be nice when they finish it.

 

Keith

[TheSignalEngineer]

I'm old enough to remember the two previous versions of Brum centre (Post war & 1960s re-hash).

I can even rememember a trip on a tram to the Lickeys! (I wasn't very old)

It is a perennial joke amongst Brummies that it'll be nice when they finish it.

 

Keith

 

Likewise, Keith. I rode the Pershore Road and Bristol Road trams. went to the Theatre Royal in New Street for the panto (a young Max Bygraves playing Buttons), travelled to Dudley Zoo on the train, went to the BIF at Castle Bromwich........(cue wailing violin)

 

 

Eric

[melmerby]

. went to the Theatre Royal in New Street for the panto

 

Eric

Wasn't there a model shop in the alley down the RH side somewhere?

The LH side was the Piccadilly Arcade (Converted from the Picture House Cinema)

There used to be one in the Burlington Arcade as well.

 

Keith

[TheSignalEngineer]

Horntons opposite the bottom of  Piccadilly Arcade used to sell model railways.

 

I regularly used the one in Burlington Arcade, still have some of the stuff i bought from there. (and the bag)

 

[melmerby]

Horntons opposite the bottom of  Piccadilly Arcade used to sell model railways.

 

About where an entrance to the "new" station is.

http://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3014.0;attach=3890;image

 

There was a train in the window that you could operate by putting a hand over a photo-sensor.

They moved to the opposite corner, bottom of Lower Temple Street, where there is now a coffee shop, when the redevelopement of New St Station started.

Sold electronics as well, another type of shop that has all but vanished from High Streets.

 

Keith

 

EDIT

I found mention of a model shop called "Kanga Models" in Colonade Passage which would tie in with the one I mentioned as the Colonade Hotel was in Ethel St.

Edited October 17, 2017 by melmerby

[melmerby]

Looks like decent photographs of the progress on the extension to Broad Street are going to be difficult as the latest barriers to protect the worksites are rather solid and tall!

 

Pinfold Street:

 

In front of the Town Hall:

 

Keith

 

[richard brown]

I'm looking forward to see this this weekend while I am in Birmingham for the warley show

 

Richard

[Robert Shrives]

I guess the solid barriers are to prevent the faint of heart being distressed with too many builder`s bums ! or a fear that the shambles within will be publicised! But good to see progress at last.  

 

A while back the St Chads stop/ nee Snow hill interchange had its exposed stair case and lift bought into use without fanfare as it is such a poor installation, but at least it does mean you can office hours Mon- Sat only get off and walk around the block to the Livery street entrance.

 

ho hum !

Robert    

[Siberian Snooper]

Whilst visiting my parents, yesterday's local news had the announcement that the go ahead has been given for the line from Brierley Hill to Wednesbury. I can't remember the start date though.

[Christopher125]

Whilst visiting my parents, yesterday's local news had the announcement that the go ahead has been given for the line from Brierley Hill to Wednesbury. I can't remember the start date though.

 

Work expected to start in 2019, though some trackbed clearance has already taken place.

 

The 11.2km line will branch off Midland Metro’s existing Birmingham - Wolverhampton line at Wednesbury, serving Great Bridge, Horseley Heath, Dudley Port, Dudley town centre, and Merry Hill shopping centre. Much of the route will use the alignment of a disused freight line.

 

Construction is due to begin in 2019 and the line will open in 2023. Services will operate at six-minute headways during the peak and every 10 minutes at other times with a journey time of 24 minutes between Wednesbury and the terminus at Brierley Hill Town Centre.

 

http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/light-rail/british-government-to-fund-midland-metro-extension.html

Edited November 21, 2017 by Christopher125

[melmerby]

A while back the St Chads stop/ nee Snow hill interchange had its exposed stair case and lift bought into use without fanfare as it is such a poor installation, but at least it does mean you can office hours Mon- Sat only get off and walk around the block to the Livery street entrance.

 

ho hum !

Robert    

here it is:

 

With just a little bit of planning they could have made a through the arch access to the Snow Hill Station Livery Street entrance.

It's oh so close, the stairs come down alongside the pier between the first and second arches, with the hard surface for passenger circulation taking the land across the face of the second arch.

The Livery Street entrance uses the third arch! Just a few more metres would have done it!

 

Keith

Edited November 21, 2017 by melmerby

[giz]

Work expected to start in 2019, though some trackbed clearance has already taken place.

 

The 11.2km line will branch off Midland Metro’s existing Birmingham - Wolverhampton line at Wednesbury, serving Great Bridge, Horseley Heath, Dudley Port, Dudley town centre, and Merry Hill shopping centre. Much of the route will use the alignment of a disused freight line.

 

Construction is due to begin in 2019 and the line will open in 2023. Services will operate at six-minute headways during the peak and every 10 minutes at other times with a journey time of 24 minutes between Wednesbury and the terminus at Brierley Hill Town Centre.

 

http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/light-rail/british-government-to-fund-midland-metro-extension.html

It will pass close to where I work (Peartree Lane, Dudley) but unfortunately the opening date is when I'm due to retire!

[melmerby]

Work around Paradise Street is well under way now

 

Paradise Street itself:

 

A couple of views of Fletcher's Walk being demolished, from Paradise Street

(Fletcher's Walk is on the line of the new tramway, a couple of weeks ago people were walking through there!)

 

 

 

And a view from the Town Hall:

 

 

Keith

 

 

[melmerby]

Looks like the extension to the Hagley Road is now part of the ongoing construction works if these signs on the hoardings around Paradise Street are anything to go by:

 

 

 

These and similar are on several places on the hoardings

 

Keith

[richard brown]

that will be good for my next trip to Birmingham I will be able to get the tram from the station to to hotel and the hotel to the night club. I hope the trams don't run to late in the night I can just see a few drunk people getting hit by the tram

[melmerby]

that will be good for my next trip to Birmingham I will be able to get the tram from the station to to hotel and the hotel to the night club. I hope the trams don't run to late in the night I can just see a few drunk people getting hit by the tram

You've got a bit of a wait as it wont get to Centenary Square/ICC until 2019 and Hagley Road in 2021!

 

Currently on a Saturday the first tram arrives at Grand Central at 0510 and they run from Grand Central until 0045.

 

Keith

Edited January 11, 2018 by melmerby

[melmerby]

Spotted this work party in Corporation Street.

They seemed to be measuring/checking something about the track:

 

 

I hope there isn't a problem that will lead to closure for rectification.

 

Keith

[melmerby]

I haven't posted much recently as most of what's going on seems to be digging holes and re-filling rhem again!

 

However the latest hole dug has revealed this:

 

It's about 1.5m below current street level.

So far not identified as to how old it is, theories range from Roman (?) to Victorian.

Maybe the archaeologist complete with trowel will find a clue?

 

Also; Tram 18 which has had Li-ion batteries fitted to the two end units and is out and about on revenue service:

 

 

 

Keith

Edited June 21, 2018 by melmerby

[Northroader]

That’s where the Brummagen Colosseum stood until Attila the Baggy knocked it down.