The Midland Metro is a passenger light rail line in the West Midlands conurbation in England, which opened in 1999. Its rolling stock includes sixteen T69 tramcars, and a small number of maintenance vehicles.
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| T-69 | |
|---|---|
Tram 05 at West Bromwich Central |
|
| In service | 1999 – Present |
| Manufacturer | AnsaldoBreda |
| Built at | Naples, Italy |
| Constructed | 1998–1999 |
| Refurbishment | 2007 |
| Number built | 16 |
| Number in service | 14 |
| Formation | 2 sections per tram, articulated intersection |
| Fleet numbers | 01–16 |
| Capacity | 56 seats, 152 standing per tram |
| Operator | Travel Midland Metro |
| Line(s) served | Wolverhampton – Birmingham |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Aluminium |
| Car length | 24 m (78 ft 9 in) |
| Width | 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) |
| Height | 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in) |
| Maximum speed | 43.5 mph (70 km/h) |
| Weight | 45 tonnes (44 long tons; 50 short tons) per tram |
| Traction system | Four 105 kW (141 hp) separately-excited DC traction motors |
| Electric system(s) | 750 V DC Overhead lines |
| Current collection method | Pantograph Brecknell Willis High Reach |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
The T69 trams, used only on the Midland Metro, were built by the Italian company AnsaldoBreda. Their closest "brothers" are the SL95 running in Oslo, Norway. The vehicles are articulated, resting on three bogies, and have low floors over about 70% of the length.
16 trams entered service altogether. At delivery, all trams had a livery of yellow doors and red and blue body, but several have been refurbished and repainted in Network West Midlands silver/magenta livery.
Most trams are named for local celebrities or people of note.
| Fleet Number | Tram Name | Livery |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Sir Frank Whittle | Midland Metro |
| 02 | Midland Metro | |
| 03 | Ray Lewis | Midland Metro |
| 04 | Midland Metro | |
| 05 | Sister Dora | Network West Midlands |
| 06 | Alan Garner | Midland Metro |
| 07 | Billy Wright[1] | Network West Midlands |
| 08 | Joseph Chamberlain | Midland Metro |
| 09 | Jeff Astle | Network West Midlands |
| 10 | John Stanley Webb | Network West Midlands |
| 11 | Theresa Stewart | Midland Metro |
| 12 | Midland Metro | |
| 13 | Anthony Nolan | Midland Metro |
| 14 | James Eames | Midland Metro |
| 15 | Agenoria | Midland Metro |
| 16 | Gerwyn John | Midland Metro |
Tram 01 is out of service for a major overhaul.
Trams 09 and 10 had a major collision near to Soho Benson Street in December 2006. Unit 09 was rebuilt out of the undamaged parts of the two trams, re-entering service during 2007. Tram 10, rebuilt from the damaged sections, re-entered service during late 2008.
Unit 07 was used for spares and repairs for other trams for some years. After a major overhaul, it returned to service during 2008.
Tram 05, rebuilt following a collision with a fire engine in May 2007, re-entered service during late February 2009.
Centro planned to replace all T69s with up to 40 new vehicles from an as yet unknown supplier.
Travel Midland Metro, the operator of the tramway, acquired a number of vehicles for maintaining the line. These included a Unimog[2] and a road-rail lifting platform.[3]
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