Pardon? It's Arden (3) - mini blog

Midland Metro : Centro Tram

It is probably fair to say that the modern Birmingham tram system started off with a rather boring route, not even a network. Trams ran from a gloomy and poky platform well hidden in the much reduced Snow Hill station (above).

The route was then on the track bed of the former Great Western main line to Wolverhampton but not to anywhere very much at its far end.

The Wulfrunian terminus was on Broad Street on the fringes of the city centre with promises of a move to a better terminus at some mythical stage in the future.

That tenuous improvement has finally arrived with the service now running via a stop at the main bus station ...

... and terminating at the posh new railway station.

That station, in fetching orange and black, even looks good in the dark.

In Birmingham City centre trams have vacated their Snow Hill station 'stop of gloom' and now run via Corporation Street ...

... New Street station, with a stop unhelpfully called "Grand Central" ...

... then via the Town Hall, running on batteries (look, no overhead wires!) ...

... to a terminus at Edgbaston.

The stop is named Edgbaston Village and blog readers may wish to consider the appropriateness of such a title! fbb looks forward to seeing a small flock of sheep grazing on the village green as locals gaze on clutching a foaming pint of "best"!

So, for the moment, the "network" is still a diagrammatic straight line wth trams running every 15 minutes evenings and early mornings ...

... every 8 daytimes Monday to Saturday and every 12 daytime on Sundays.

But changes are afoot.

The big extension, again mainly on former railway track ...

... is from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill, due for a further push-on via Merry Hell shopping centre to Dudley (in illegible light grey).

From Birmingham city centre we also have a short hop eastwards to serve Birmingham Curzon Street for High Speed 2 and Dugbeth.

But the biggie is from Curzon Street all the way to the Birmingham Interchange a k a Arden Cross Parkway. It has been announced that this will go ahead.

This will be eleven miles of mostly street running with Brummy residents en route being warned of "disruption".

You bet!

Tomorrow, fbb will look more closely at the route, but, for the time being, here is the plan currently published. 

Here is a map extract from Moor Street to Heartlands Hospital ...

... and then the onwards route to NEC and Arden Cross.

It's a whole lotta tram!

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And A Mystery Picture?

What's going on?

More to follow.

 Next 'Pardon It's Arden' blog : Thu 19 June