Midland Metro rolling stock

The Midland Metro is a passenger light rail line in the West Midlands conurbation in England, which opened in 1999. Its rolling stock consists of 21 Urbos 3 trams which came into service in 2014/15, replacing the older T-69 trams which had operated the line since 1999.

Urbos 3

A new fleet of 21 CAF Urbos 3 trams began to enter service in September 2014, they replaced the old T-69 fleet in 2015.^[2] In February 2012 Centro named CAF the preferred bidder for a contract to supply 19 to 25 Urbos 3 trams.^[3] A £40 million firm order for 20 was subsequently signed, with options for five more.^[4] The first of the new trams was unveiled at the Wednesbury depot in October 2013,^[5] with the first four entering service on 5 September 2014.^[2]

The new fleet will provide an increased service of 10 trams per hour in each direction, with an increased capacity of 210 passengers per tram, compared with the 156 passengers on the former T69 trams. The Urbos 3 trams are 33 metres long; 9 metres longer than the former T69 stock, and have a maximum operating speed of 70 km/h (43 mph). They are low floor throughout, and consists of five sections with four articulations. Three of the modules are mounted on bogies and the other two modules are suspended.^[1]

A 2.65 metres wide, The Urbos 3 trams are slightly wider than the 2.48 metre wide T69s. The line was closed for two weeks during March/April 2013, in order for the platforms on each of the stops to be narrowed by 15 centimetres to accommodate the new trams. The T69s were modified with wider steps to be compatible with the narrower platforms.^[6]

In 2016, it was announced that the Urbos 3 fleet would be fitted with rechargeable batteries to allow them to operate along various extensions of the Midland Metro network intended to be constructed without overhead lines.^[7]

• 
  Interior of an Urbos 3.
• 
  Urbos 3's at the depot in Wednesbury.
• 
  Urbos 3 No.35 approaching St Paul's tram stop.

Former fleet

T-69

Sixteen T-69 trams, were the original fleet, introduced into service in 1999, These were withdrawn from service gradually during 2014-2015 as the new Urbos 3 fleet was introduced. The last T-69, No. 16 was withdrawn from service in August 2015.^[11] According to Centro, since withdrawal, most of the fleet has been placed into long term storage at Long Marston, for possible re-use on future extensions.^[12][13]

In February 2016 proposals were unveiled to convert the Isle of Wight Island Line into a tram line. It was reported that the remaining T-69s could be purchased second hand and re-used for this scheme.^[14]

The T69s were used only on the Midland Metro, and were built by the Italian company AnsaldoBreda. Their closest "brothers" were the SL95 running in Oslo, Norway. At 24.36 metres long, the T-69s are the shortest modern tramcars in Britain. The vehicles are articulated, resting on three bogies, and have low floors over about 60% of the length. The central section of the trams is low floor, with inwards facing seating at the sides, while at each end is a raised seating area, accessible by steps. Each tram has 56 seats, with space for another 100 standing. They are accessible from three 1.25-metre wide entrances on each side, with twin plug doors.^[10]

At delivery, all trams had a livery of a blue body, red fronts, grey skirt and yellow doors, but several were refurbished and repainted in Network West Midlands silver and magenta livery. From their entry into service, each tram had a roller-blind style destination board. in 2013, these were replaced with new LED Destination boards on all trams.^[15]

Most trams were named after local celebrities or people of note.^[16] The backgrounds of the people so honoured vary. Several of the trams have experienced notable problems, which are detailed below.

Trams 1-13 and 15 are in Storage at Long Marston

Tram 14 has been loaned to Light Rail Vehicle Test Fleet in Long Marston for testing.

Tram 16 was named after a Royal Air Force engineer who was with the RAF for 28 years, ranked as 'Chief Technician' by the time he left, and died in 2004 from cancer (at age 53). He worked for Midland Metro from 1997-2003, leaving the company and his home in Tipton to return to Llanelli when he became ill with cancer.^[18] While dying, he joked about a tram being named after him.^[18][19] When the trams were being named, his former colleagues nominated him as a subject and in November 2005 a plaque bearing his name was unveiled on tram 16 by his widow Christine and Midland Metro manager Dean Watkins.^[18] Walsall councillor Gary Clarke, chairman of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority, gave a speech honouring John at the ceremony.^[18] The tram is the last one of the group as of 2015. It has been retained by National Express Midland Metro as an engineering vehicle.

• 
  Interior of a T69.
• 
  Sideways view of tram 06 in original livery.
• 
  Tram 09 in silver and magenta livery in 2008.
• 
  Trams 09 and 14 on the street running section in Wolverhampton in 2006.

Maintenance vehicles

National Express Midland Metro, the operator of the tramway, acquired a number of vehicles for maintaining the line. These included a Unimog,^[20] a road-rail lifting platform and one of the formerly used T69s (Tram 16).^[21]

References

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to T-69 tram.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Urbos 3 trams in the West Midlands.