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Midland Metro : introduction

Midland Metro opened on 30^th May 1999. The system is operated by a subsidiary of Travel West Midlands, the main local bus company, for Centro, the transport authority.

The viaduct at Winson Green, seen from the south. …

The system consists of one 12½ mile line ('Line One') between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, mainly reserved track using a railway alignment (shared with National Rail tracks for part of the way), with a short on-street section in Wolverhampton. Extensions are planned, including a street-running line through Birmingham city centre to Five Ways, and a line from Wolverhampton through Walsall and Wednesbury (already served by Line One) to Dudley and Brierley Hill. [more]

There are 16 low-floor trams in the fleet, two-car articulated vehicles built by Ansaldo of Italy, which are operate from a 750Vdc overhead supply. Some of the trams have recently been named. [more]

Midland Metro serves 23 stops, including three with National Rail interchange and four Park & Ride sites. Snow Hill, the Birmingham terminus, is inside the National Railway station. All of the other stops are on reserved track, and are of similar design—Dudley Street, Guns Village is an example. [more]

Updates:

8/3/09:: Some new pictures added, taken in February and July 2008—click here to see them
28/8/07: New picture gallery added to show the new Network West Midlands livery • some other pictures added, taken at Wednesbury, Bilston and Wolverhamton • click here to see all the new pictures