West Midlands Metro rolling stock

The West Midlands Metro is a passenger light rail line in the West Midlands conurbation in England, which opened in 1999. Its rolling stock consists of 21 CAF 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

Urbos 3
Urbos 3 No.31 on Corporation Street
In service	5 September 2014 – present
Manufacturer	CAF
Built at	Zaragoza, Spain
Replaced	All remaining T69
Constructed	2012-2015
Number built	21
Formation	5 sections with 4 articulations.[1]
Fleet numbers	17-37
Capacity	210 (54 seats, 156 standing)[1]
Operator(s)	West Midlands Metro
Line(s) served	Wolverhampton - Birmingham
Specifications
Car length	33 m (108 ft 3 in)[1]
Width	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)[1]
Height	3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
Maximum speed	70 km/h (43 mph)[1]
Weight	56 tonnes (55 long tons; 62 short tons)
Traction system	Twelve 80 kW (110 hp) traction motors
Electric system(s)	750 V DC OHLE
Current collection method	Pantograph
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) Standard gauge

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 provided 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 m (108 ft) long; 9 m (30 ft) longer than the former T69 stock, and have a maximum operating speed of 70 km/h (43 mph). They are low floor throughout, and consist of five sections with four articulations. Three of the modules are mounted on bogies and the other two modules are suspended.[1]

At 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) wide, The Urbos 3 trams are slightly wider than the 2.48 m (8 ft 2 in) wide T69s. The line was closed for two weeks during March and April 2013, in order for the platforms on each of the stops to be narrowed by 15 cm (5.9 in) 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] Tram 18 was the first to be fitted with batteries in 2017,[8] with the final tram, number 26, being fitted by April 2020.[9] Tram 31 was the first to receive the new blue livery and was relaunched on 16 July 2018.[10]

In October 2019, an order was signed for 21 new Urbos trams, with the option of a further 29.[11]

Fleet Number	Tram Name	Livery[12]	Notes
17		Blue[13]
18		Blue with adverts[14]
19		Silver and blue[14]	Decorated with special logos to mark the 20th anniversary of the West Midlands Metro on 30 May 2019.[15]
20		Blue[13]
21		Blue with adverts[16]
22		Blue[14]
23		Blue[17]
24		Blue with adverts[18]
25		Blue with adverts[19]
26		Blue[13]	Out of use between June 2017 and June 2019 following a derailment in the depot.[20]
27		Blue with adverts[21]
28	Jasper Carrott[22]	Blue[13]	Named after the Birmingham born comedian Jasper Carrott on 13 November 2019 at the new Town Hall Tram Stop.[23]
29		Blue[13]
30		Blue[13]
31	Cyrille Regis.[24]	Blue[13]
32		Blue with adverts[25]
33		Blue[13]
34		Blue[13]
35		Blue[26]	Previously named Angus Adams by Elizabeth II on the 19 November 2015.[26][27]
36		Blue[28]
37	Ozzy Osbourne	Blue[29]	Named by Osbourne on 26 May 2016.[30]

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

Former fleet

T-69

T-69
Tram 05 in original livery at West Bromwich Central
In service	30 May 1999 – 14 August 2015
Manufacturer	AnsaldoBreda
Built at	Naples, Italy
Constructed	1996 – 1999
Refurbished	2013
Scrapped	2018
Number built	16
Number preserved	4
Number scrapped	12
Formation	2 sections per tram, articulated intersection
Fleet numbers	01–16
Capacity	156 (56 seats, 100 standing)[31]
Operator(s)	National Express Midland Metro
Line(s) served	Wolverhampton - Birmingham Snow Hill
Specifications
Car body construction	Aluminium
Car length	24.36 m (79 ft 11 in)[31]
Width	2.48 m (8 ft 2 in)[6]
Height	3.7 m (12 ft 2 in)
Maximum speed	43.5 mph (70 km/h)
Weight	38 tonnes (37 long tons; 42 short tons) per tram [31]
Traction system	Four 105 kW (141 hp) separately-excited DC traction motors
Electric system(s)	750 V DC Overhead lines
Current collection method	Pantograph Type: Brecknell Willis high reach
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)

Sixteen T-69 trams, were the original fleet, introduced into service in 1999, These were withdrawn from service gradually during 2014/15 as the new Urbos 3 fleet was introduced. The last, no. 16, was withdrawn from service in August 2015.[32]

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 m (79 ft 11 in) long, the T-69s were the shortest modern tramcars in Britain. The vehicles were articulated, resting on three bogies, and had low floors over about 60% of the length. The central section of the trams was low floor, with inwards facing seating at the sides, while at each end was a raised seating area, accessible by steps. Each tram had 56 seats, with space for another 100 standing. They were accessible from three 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in) wide entrances on each side, with twin plug doors.[31]

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.[33]

Most trams were named after local celebrities or people of note.[12] After withdrawal 1-15 were placed in storage at Long Marston. 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.[34] However, this proposal never came to fruition, and in 2018 two were donated for preservation, while two others are in storage at Long Marston. The remaining 12 were sold for scrap. Trams 07, 10 and 11 remain in storage at Long Marston. Tram 16 was originally planned to be retained as an engineering tram, but has now also been stored at Long Marston.

Key:	In service	Stored	Scrapped	Preserved

Fleet Number	Tram Name	Livery	Notes
01		Original (blue, red, grey, yellow)	Scrapped
02		Original	Scrapped
03	Ray Lewis	Original	Scrapped
04	Sir Frank Whittle	Original	Scrapped
05	Sister Dora	Silver and Magenta	Scrapped
06	Alan Garner	Original	Scrapped
07	Billy Wright[35]	Silver and Magenta	Preserved by UK Tram[36]
08	Joseph Chamberlain	Original	Scrapped
09	Jeff Astle	Silver and Magenta	Scrapped
10	John Stanley Webb	Silver and Magenta	Stored at Long Marston[37]
11	Theresa Stewart	Birmingham Corporation	Preserved by City of Birmingham[36]
12		Original	Scrapped
13	Anthony Nolan	Original	Scrapped
14	Jim Eames	Original	Scrapped
15	Agenoria	Original	Scrapped
16	Gerwyn John[38]	Original	Stored at Long Marston

• 
  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 former operator of the tramway until 2018, acquired a number of vehicles for maintaining the line. These included a Unimog,[39] and road-rail lifting platform.[40] These vehicles have been transferred to the new operator, Transport for West Midlands, and are still in use today.

References

1. "CAF trams for Midland Metro Expansion Project". The Rail Engineer. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
2. "New Midland Metro trams launched into service". Centro. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
3. "CAF named preferred bidder to supply new Midland Metro trams". Railway Gazette International. 2 February 2012.
4. "Work begins on £128m Midland Metro expansion project". Railway Gazette International. London. 22 March 2012.
5. "Midland Metro unveils first CAF tram". Railway Gazette International. London. 16 October 2013.
6. "Essential Engineering Works". Network West Midlands. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
7. "Midland Metro trams to be converted for catenary-free operation". Railway Gazette. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
8. "In Pictures: Urbos3 18 returns - with batteries now included!". British Trams Online. 26 September 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
9. "In Pictures: All batteries now included on West Midlands Metro". British Trams Online. 11 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
10. "In Pictures: Blue is the colour as West Midlands Metro new livery unveiled". British Trams Online News. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
11. "21 more Urbos trams for West Midlands Metro". British Trams Online News. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
12. "West Midlands Metro fleet list". British Trams Online. 17 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
13. "In Pictures: 33 goes blue and enters service – but still not the end of magenta". British Trams Online News. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
14. "In Pictures: Now the blue moves to trams in hybrid livery". British Trams Online News. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
15. "In Pictures: 19 receives West Midlands Metro 20th anniversary livery". British Trams Online News. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
16. "In Pictures: 21 gains the full blue livery leaving just one tram to go". British Trams Online News. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
17. "In Pictures: The Blue revolution continues on West Midlands Metro". British Trams Online. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
18. "In Pictures: And still there's more blue on the West Midlands Metro". British Trams Online News. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
19. "In Pictures: 25 leaves just 33 in magenta on West Midlands Metro". British Trams Online News. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
20. "In Pictures: 26 gets ready for a return to service on West Midlands Metro". British Trams Online. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
21. "In Pictures: More blue with a dash of green on West Midlands Metro". British Trams Online News. 3 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
22. "Birmingham comic Jasper Carrott has tram named after him". BBC News Online. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
23. "Comedian Jasper Carrott unveils tram named in his honour in Birmingham". Birmingham Mail. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
24. "Cyrille Regis: Metro tram in memory of footballer". BBC News. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
25. "In Pictures: 30 back in service complete with batteries". British Trams Online News. 6 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
26. "In Pictures: Another blue tram on West Midlands Metro". British Trams Online News. 17 August 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
27. "Royal seal of approval for Midland Metro". Centro. 19 November 2015. Archived from the original on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
28. "In Pictures: 36 loses its adverts". British Trams Online News. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
29. "In Pictures: 37 goes blue on West Midlands Metro". British Trams Online News. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
30. "Ozzy Osbourne has Birmingham tram named after him". BBC News Online. 26 May 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
31. Boynton 2001, pp. 80.
32. "End of the line for original Metro trams". Express & Star. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
33. "Midland Metro : Trams". The Trams.co.uk. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
34. "IS THE FUTURE TRAMS AND STEAM TRAINS INTO RYDE?". islandecho.co.uk. Island Echo. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
35. "Midland Metro : Trams : 07". TheTrams.co.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
36. Original Midland Metro tram to go on display Birmingham Mail 26 February 2018
37. "In Pictures: Midland Metro 10 still at Long Marston". British Trams Online News. 30 June 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
38. "16 'Gerwyn John'". TheTrams.co.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
39. "Ancillary vehicle at Wednesbury depot". Thetrams.co.uk.
40. "Ancillary vehicle at Wednesbury depot". Thetrams.co.uk.

Bibliography

• Boynton, John (2001). Main Line to Metro: Train and tram on the Great Western route: Birmingham Snow Hill – Wolverhampton. Kidderminster: Mid England Books. ISBN 978-0-9522248-9-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)