DESCRIPTION The Birmingham Midland Metro project was launched in the middle of years 80s, in order to connect the West Midlands main industrial agglomerations (the regional population is 3.5 millions inhabitants).
West Midlands suffered in the last decades the consequencies of a massive industrial reconversion caused by the dismission of many steelworks in favour of other activities (like the tertiary): the insertion of an efficient transport system was seen as a new opportunity for a new development of the whole area. Some technical and economical problems caused delays and project reductions: at the moment just one of the 3 predicted lines has been realized (Line 1, 1999), along the elder Greater Western Railway route, between Grand Central Station, Birmingham Snow Hill and Wolverhampton.
(last modified February 19, 2017 )
HISTORYdate | section name | line | | 1904 | original tram opening | -- | 1953 | original tram closure | -- | 31-05-1999 | Birmingham Snow Hill-Wolverhampton St. Georges | Midland Metro | 06-12-2015 | Snow Hill-Bull Street | Midland Metro | 30-05-2016 | Bull Street-Grand Central | Midland Metro |
(last modified February 19, 2017 )
| TECHNICAL DATA Single line length (Km) --
Single line stops --
Single line avg. distance (km) --
Total track length (km) 21
Total network stops 26
Avg. stop net distance (km) 0.9
Type steel wheels
Current/Voltage 750 V DC overhead
Type of guide/gauge standard gauge rails (1435 mm)
Vehicles builder ANSALDO,CAF
Model T69,Urbos 3
Operator NATIONAL EXPRESS MIDLAND METRO
| (last modified February 19, 2017 ) |