Midland Metro slams brakes on launch of extension

MUCH anticipated plans for the launch of Midland Metro services to Birmingham’s New Street Station this weekend have been delayed, the city’s transport authority has revealed.

Services had been scheduled to start running from Bull Street to Stephenson Street from Sunday May 22 but Centro said the already-delayed scheme had had to be put back until further notice because of additional track alignment works.

The development is an enormous embarrassment for the authority and leaves transport bosses red faced.

The scheme, which only covers 0.6 miles, is already five months behind schedule and questions are being asked about whether the scheme is set become a white elephant.

Centro said it had reluctantly reached the decision to delay the launch following extensive safety checks to the tramway.

Phil Hewitt, Centro’s Midland Metro programme director, said: “It is bitterly disappointing as everything else is in place and ready to go but, as we have said right from the start, safety is paramount.

“A stringent testing programme has identified minor anomalies in some of the track alignment which need to be addressed.

“These are exactly the sort of issues the tests were designed to identify.”

However, he said the remedial work was relatively straightforward and once complete, on-street driver training could begin.

The launch was to have coincided with a Midland Metro family fun day at Martineau Place on Sunday but this has now had to be scrapped.

Trams returned to the streets of Birmingham for the first time in more than 60 years last December when the Metro started running to the new stop in Bull Street.

Work on the £128m extension scheme originally began in 2012 and it was hoped the trams could be operational to coincide with the opening of New Street Station and Grand Central last September, although this was later revised to the end of the year.