Repair work on trams on the West Midlands Metro (WMM) network could take more than four weeks.
The month-long timeframe stated last Friday (November 12th) is the bare minimum required to get the service up and running, the operators have admitted.
That means those who hope the trams will be back on the tracks by Christmas will be disappointed – but WMM has promised to keep customers informed during the week.
Read more: All West Midlands Metro trams were shut down after cracks were found in the fleet
The service was closed on November 13 after a number of chassis cracks were found on the trams. Engineers perform inspections and repairs on the fleet.
Cllr Chaman Lal (Lab, Soho & Jewelery Quarter), a member of the Transport Delivery Committee for the West Midlands, called the disruption “unacceptable”.
“We had a meeting this week and I made clear the inconvenience for subway users who rely on the service to get to work or meet other needs,” said Cllr Lal.
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“The trams shouldn’t even be in this condition. We already knew about these cracks in June – they had plenty of time to draw up an emergency plan.
“We’re trying to do our best for the environment by getting more people to use sustainable modes of transport, with millions being spent on the tram network just to get there just before Christmas.
“The trains will not handle and buses are not always reliable, so this is a major blow. In addition, we have Covid-19 which is causing driver shortages on public transport.
Dead Silence: Looking down Corporation Street towards the House of Fraser.
(Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive)
“If the trams are faulty, why haven’t we taken extra steps to make sure we have makeshift or replacement vehicles? That way we could have kept the service running while the current fleet of trams is doing safety repairs.
“It doesn’t help that we rely on one provider and therefore can’t expand to others.”
BirminghamLive is aware that replacement trams are not an option as they are imported from countries like Spain and Canada and take several weeks to arrive.
Once in the West Midlands, engineers run rigorous tests to make sure they’re safe for passengers. The trams also have to travel a certain number of kilometers before the public is allowed to board.
We recently revealed how trams that have been decommissioned in Sydney, Australia are being built by the same Spanish company that supplies the West Midlands Metro.
A WMM spokesperson told BirminghamLive: “‘At least’ four weeks is our best guess because of the extensive engineering work involved. It could be four weeks, but it could be more.
“As soon as we get closer to the four-week deadline, we will inform customers so that they have an idea of when the trams will be back in service and whether they need to take alternative routes.”
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