And so to Arden Cross ...
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From Digbeth, it appears that the extension strikes out west along ordinary roads which will, perforce, need to have reserved track installed. We see track in place as we continue along Digbeth High Street past the coach station and beyond.
Then rails turn into grass, clearly in preparation for the extension.
And, lo and behold we come to the junction with Coventry Road where the Meccano flyover (of recent blog fame) used to stand.
There will be a huge amount of work to get the tracks across the huge A45 roundabout where the very busy A road crosses the "traditional" Coventry Road.
The area is all clearly in decline and, presumably the arrival of the shiny new tram system is partially designed to encourage regeneration in this area.
The first highlight along the road (called Bordesley Green) is the massive and new-ish Heartlands Hospital, set back from the main road.
The sensible thing, and the way it would be done in Europe, would be for the train to enter the hospital grounds - but it won't 'cos there is no way through!
We now move on to the next map extract.
But here we are mainly on busy but residential roads as per the on-line hints.
It is very different now!
The tram map shows the route as using Chelmsley Road, shown above running from top left (ish) and fizzling out bottom right. This is unlikely to have reserved track unless something drastic is done with other traffic like "access only".
Time will tell. Remember we have been warned of "disruption"!
This is a typical street map chunk of Bordesley Green ...
... and Chelmsley Wood.
Chelmsley Wood was once a wood!
At the end of Chelmsley Road we T junction with the current bus routes ...
... and through that hedge and across a bit of open land is the business park ...
... which was (maybe still is) served by driverless midi buses with drivers - experimentally. The map implies that the tram will join the triangular estate road and find its way out on to the ORANGE road as it makes its way to Birmingham International station.
Somehow the tram negotiates the station on the NEC side and via assorted road intersections to Arden Cross and Birmingham non-Interchange on the HS2 shuttle from somewhere in London.
fbb will content himself with this broad brush review of the route of, possibly, the longest tram extension in the modern history of such travel in the UK; at 11 miles long!
It will be worth waiting for, and doubtless a spectacular ride moving from run-down Bordesley, through traditional suburbs, past the NEC and finding its way into the new and shiny Arden Cross district.
BUT ...
... does it really make sense in view of the significant cut-backs of HS2?
The jury is out!
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Blogging Plans
It's complicated!
Sunday 22 - fbbs off by train to Sheffield
tea and dinner with various chums
Monday 23 - Mrs fbb to Swanwick for
a Bible study and prayer conference
Tuesday 24 - fbb on big bus trip to
Rotherham and Doncaster
Wednesday 25 - Mrs fbb back to Sheffield
Thursday 26 - fbbs back to Seaton
Exciting, eh, for a couple of 80 year olds. Sanatogen at the ready!
Blogs may perforce be limited in scope during the absence from home base. Travelodge WiFi is usually awful!
Next Variety blog : Saturday 21 June
Why not use Holiday Inn Express. The brekkie is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteAnd the price is at least double that of a Travelodge!!
ReplyDelete