West Midlands Metro Tracklaying in Brum

[Andy Reichert]

A notable absence of shop blinds, despite the wet streets.

 

Are they banned along the tram route?

 

Andy

[melmerby]

A notable absence of shop blinds, despite the wet streets.

 

Are they banned along the tram route?

 

Andy

Are there normally any in the city centre?

Seem to be a rarity these days.

 

Keith

[PhilJ W]

I thought for a minute that there had been an earthquake in Birmingham after looking at the fourth photo. It turned out to be an optical illusion caused by a reflection off of the building on the right.

[melmerby]

I thought for a minute that there had been an earthquake in Birmingham after looking at the fourth photo. It turned out to be an optical illusion caused by a reflection off of the building on the right.

There are plenty of opportunities for reflections like that with the cladding now applied all round the station/shopping centre.

 

Maybe we should have a competition to see who can up with the best?

 

Keith

[Edwin_m]

I hope someone has done some calculations to ensure that the sunlight can't be focused at any point at any time of the day or year.  Apart from the well-known case of the Walkie Talkie in London, there's an Anish Kapoor artwork in Nottingham comprising a large concave reflector, and they have to put some screens up at certain times to avoid having roasted pigeons falling out of the sky.

[phil-b259]

 there's an Anish Kapoor artwork in Nottingham comprising a large concave reflector, and they have to put some screens up at certain times to avoid having roasted pigeons falling out of the sky.

 

And whats the problem with that - Mankey urban pigeons are hardly the most attractive of creatures in the first place and the less of them the better.

[Ian Smeeton]

Fast food for free and on the hoof, too.

 

Good eating in pigeons, and as its Manna from heaven, who is complaining.

 

Beats seagull poo on yer fish'n'chips or cornet.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Roger.s]

And whats the problem with that - Mankey urban pigeons are hardly the most attractive of creatures in the first place and the less of them the better.

Noting wrong but you still want the screens to catch them as they fall on your head.

[dcroz]

Still optimistic timescales being talked about - according to the Birmingham Mail testing will start in mid-October:

 

"Trams will be travelling through Birmingham city centre in less than a month – for the first time in decades.

 

With work on the Midland Metro extension from Snow Hill to New Street almost complete, testing will begin on the tracks in mid-October.

 

Although don’t expect to see them, as initial testing will be done overnight, with scheduled operations expected to begin before the end of the year."

 

For the full story, see:

 

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/video-check-out-new-birmingham-10135876

Edited September 27, 2015 by dcroz

[melmerby]

Still optimistic timescales being talked about - according to the Birmingham Mail testing will start in mid-October:

 

"Trams will be travelling through Birmingham city centre in less than a month – for the first time in decades.

 

With work on the Midland Metro extension from Snow Hill to New Street almost complete, testing will begin on the tracks in mid-October.

 

Although don’t expect to see them, as initial testing will be done overnight, with scheduled operations expected to begin before the end of the year."

 

For the full story, see:

 

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/video-check-out-new-birmingham-10135876

They better get their skates on.

However I wonder whether there was some contingency time built into the schedule.

If the work had finished on 7th September as originally mooted would they have needed 10 weeks of testing?

 

The track work (since last Tuesday) should now be all complete from near St Pauls to Stephenson St, just needing the new connexion and overhead wiring.

I wonder how long that will take?

 

Keith

[melmerby]

State of play Yesterday 29th.

 

Some work now taking place to improve the footpaths.

 

Stephenson Street:

 

And Corporation St:

Both the above are raised sections for tram stops.

 

However progress in Bull Street by Temple Row is painfully slow

 

Looking North:

And South:

 

Likewise on the stretch from Great Charles Street to St Paul's stop:

 

Closer view:

 

No more eyebolts to be seen fixed to buildings and no sign of poles (where the foundations were previously provided for)

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dcroz]

Taken from a 6th October press release on the Centro website:

Birmingham city centre tram extension enters key phase
http://www.centro.org.uk/about-us/news/2015/all-change-on-midland-metro-as-city-centre-tram-extension-enters-key-phase/

Passengers on the Midland Metro are being advised of major changes later this month when work to connect the existing tram system to the new Birmingham city centre extension gets underway. From Sunday October 25th, tram services will no longer use Snow Hill Station but will instead start and finish at St Paul's. Passengers will be able to use a replacement shuttle bus service between St Paul's and Snow Hill Queensway which is being laid on by the Metro's owner - public transport co-ordinator Centro - and the system's operator National Express.The Midland Metro platform at Snow Hill station will be closed as work gets underway to connect the line to the new Birmingham city centre extension.

The arrangement is expected to last for up to six weeks while engineers install a new junction on the track between Snow Hill and St Paul's, along with new signalling equipment and overhead electrification to tie the line in to the new extension. Once work is complete services will run to the new Bull Street stop in the city centre. The rest of the extension down Corporation Street to New Street Station is scheduled to open by the end of the year. Cllr Roger Horton, lead member for rail and Metro on the region's Transport Delivery Committee, said:

 

"We appreciate that this work will cause some temporary disruption for passengers and we would like to apologise for this in advance. Despite the short term inconvenience it's worth remembering that this work paves the way for passengers to be able to travel by tram right into the heart of the city centre. That's good for passengers, good for retailers and good for our regional economy."

Apart from the replacement shuttle bus, which will use the stop opposite the entrance to St Paul's on Constitution Hill, existing National Express bus services on the route - Nos. 16, 46, 74 and 75 - will also accept Midland Metro tickets. Conductors will also be on hand at the bus stops selling Metro tickets. Alternatively, passengers wishing to travel into Snow Hill Station by rail can change between tram and train at the Jewellery Quarter but must have a valid train ticket. Further details, including timetables for the replacement buses, ticket details for transfer onto rail and walking routes will be available nearer the time on http://www.networkwestmidlands.com/ and http://nxbus.co.uk/the-metro/ The information will also be available on leaflets that will be distributed to passengers ahead of the start of the improvement works.

The city centre extension, a joint project between Centro, Birmingham City Council and the Black Country councils, will bring more than three million people directly into the heart of the city's shopping district each year. It will also provide a convenient link between Birmingham's two major rail stations, the emerging business district at Snow Hill, the unique and historic Jewellery Quarter and out into the Black Country using the existing Metro line. The extension will serve as a springboard for future Metro routes such as to the city's forthcoming high speed rail station in Eastside, and Centenary Square.

The £128 million project, which includes a £50m fleet of new trams which started going into service last year, is expected to boost the regional economy by around £50m a year and create more than 1,300 sustainable new jobs.

Edited October 6, 2015 by dcroz

[melmerby]

So closed from 25th October for six weeks. That takes us into the first week of December.

 

I trust that at the end of that period all other outstanding infrastructure work will be complete.

Looks like the testing and commissioning phase originally due to start 7th Sept will be a whole two months late, leaving little time to get it ready by the end of the year!

 

Keith

[dcroz]

Hi Keith,

 

Seems a highly ambitious timescale to me, unless they open in the style of Birmingham New Street & Grand Central where there is clearly some snagging still to do even though it is officially fully open! Will be interesting to see how quickly the OLE goes up & tram stop equipment is installed, still lots to do ...

[melmerby]

Hi Keith,

 

Seems a highly ambitious timescale to me, unless they open in the style of Birmingham New Street & Grand Central where there is clearly some snagging still to do even though it is officially fully open! Will be interesting to see how quickly the OLE goes up & tram stop equipment is installed, still lots to do ...

I'll be having another look tomorrow so will post any snaps relevant to progress!

 

Keith

[melmerby]

As promised some pictures from today.

 

Some cleaning up of track in Stephenson Street.:

 

"Improving" the paving in Stephenson Street (Just down from Ian Allan):

 

The Fixings for the OHLE are now appearing at some pace.

Poles, Poles, Poles!

Stephenson Place:

 

Outside House of Fraser (Rackhams):

 

Bull Street / Corporation Street junction:

 

Meanwhile elsewhere fixings on buildings are the order of the day.

In Stephenson Street, Drilling the holes:

(Two crews at work at once!)

 

It appears to be a threaded rod which is "epoxied" into place

One already in place opposite Ian Allan:

 

I wonder how the eye bolts fitted elsewhere come into it?

 

Tram Stops are also taking shape.

Corporation Street, Wolverhampton bound:

 

Meanwhile in Bull Street some paving going down at the previously erected stop:

 

Bull Street - This is the final concrete pour on the street track section:

Just some adjacent road surfaces to be made good now!

 

Over by Great Charles Street.

A bit more progress now on track laying:

 

A closer view shows what appear to be the tram stop kerbs on the bridge more clearly:

 

Cheers

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Robert Shrives]

All looking good , talking to staff in Bull St the last bit of railside concrete was going in and again the crew put in concrete to wrong levels and had to rework 50mm off surface - wasting 40 minutes. The platform at Bull St saw metal work go up and come down again - contractors used wrong datum - took founds for edging not final levels - 75mm out so had to add to foundtions and re grout mounts - yesterday much of edging in place and levels being sorted for final surface laying.  

 

The overhead shots at St Charles shows problem that  out of town lines cuts through the OLE pole route hence the six weeks to change over. It is good at last to see poles going up.  

 

The lovely shiny cladding around the new New St was washed prior to opening off mobile access towers on Stephenson St , I guess next time they will be able to use hot water as OLE will be in the way!

 

In downpours of the other day the flangeways where detarmaced got a good flush through, as did the new New street ! - buckets to the rescue.... 

 

Looking forward to the completion of this scheme. bets now on for first tram into new New St London Midland mess room.

Robert

[Robert Shrives]

Hi,

Looking again at the St Charles pics the into town line as laid looks like a sharp zig- zag in place back to exsisting lines - makes clearances for the reinstatement of Snow Hill platform 4 look very minmal, a waste of otherwise unusable land to wards St Pauls tunnels in background and creating sharp flange wearing curves for no good reason!  Well I guess it  adds to the urban greeny / jungle/ dumping and graffitti space which seems the norm, otherside of lines a disgrace. 

Robert

[Edwin_m]

I hope those poles on Stephenson Street don't create a means for people to climb onto the walkway handrail and close to the OLE. 

[Robert Shrives]

Hi If handrails do and folk climb its going to be a Darwin award candidate, and to be honest can only help the human gene pool!

Robert   

[melmerby]

Hi,

Looking again at the St Charles pics the into town line as laid looks like a sharp zig- zag in place back to exsisting lines - makes clearances for the reinstatement of Snow Hill platform 4 look very minmal, a waste of otherwise unusable land to wards St Pauls tunnels in background and creating sharp flange wearing curves for no good reason!  Well I guess it  adds to the urban greeny / jungle/ dumping and graffitti space which seems the norm, otherside of lines a disgrace. 

Robert

IMHO Not a particularly good piece of track design.

They could have continued on the old track bed at least across Henrietta Street and the tie in with the current track work would then have had barely a curve!

As it is it will restrict the straight length of the platform when it returns to heavy rail usage (sometime in the future!)

 

Keith

Edited October 10, 2015 by melmerby

[dcroz]

Absolutely agree with you Keith - it will lead to a much less smooth ride for passengers, and also restricts possibilities for National Rail at Snow Hill so seems a bizarre decision!

Edited October 10, 2015 by dcroz

[Alan J Kirkman]

National Rail options at Snow Hill are already restricted and the Platforms are far too long anyway as they were built with the idea of having mid platform signals and two train in each platform at times but this is no longer regulatorily possible. So if P4 is to be reinstated taking a bit off the north end to do so is no hardship. However it is not proposed in the forseeable future as there is no available planned resignalling work to provide an opportunity to do a reinstatement. This 2 trains not permitted now problem is why there has been nothing track etc wise done to New St other that any like for like changes as to do so would mean total paralysis if the grandfather rights to using A and B platforms was lost. As always with railway work "You couldn't make it up!".

Edited October 17, 2015 by Alan J Kirkman

[The Stationmaster]

National Rail options at Snow Hill are already restricted and the Platforms are far too long anyway as they were built with the idea of having mid platform signals and two train in each platform at times but this is no longer regulatorily possible. So if P4 is to be reinstated taking a bit off the north end to do so is no hardship. However it is not proposed in the forseeable future as there is no available planned resignalling work to provide an opportunity to do a reinstatement. This 2 trains not permitted now problem is why there has been nothing track etc wise done to New St other that any like for like changes as to do so would mean total paralysis if the grandfather rights to using A and B platforms was lost. As always with railway work "You couldn't make it up!".

I wonder when that changed?  Reading would seem to have been lucky as there you can (and do) have two trains in a platform and the only thing which keeps them apart is a notice board.  However I'm not sure if there are any instances where they then both leave in the same direction.

[phil-b259]

National Rail options at Snow Hill are already restricted and the Platforms are far too long anyway as they were built with the idea of having mid platform signals and two train in each platform at times but this is no longer regulatorily possible. ....

 

This 2 trains not permitted now problem is why there has been nothing track etc wise done to New St other that any like for like changes as to do so would mean total paralysis if the grandfather rights to using A and B platforms was lost. As always with railway work "You couldn't make it up!".

 

Do you have a source for this statement?

 

I ask because through the use of TPWS and approach controlled signals there is no reason why the potential for a collision between two trains cannot be eliminated, which means such a move is perfectly safe.

 

Also what about platform sharing without mid platform signals which is used extensively across the network using call on signals to allow a second train into the occupied platform. This is due to go in on the 100% new build platform at Redhill.