West Midlands Metro expected to return next week - but still no date confirmed
There is still no date for the return of West Midlands Metro services despite the latest deadline given by bosses being just days away.
The provider announced just one week ago that trams would run from the week of Sunday, June 5.
A spokesman for the service said the date is not yet known, but did not suggest that the service would be prolonged past the deadline of next week.
There are no clues through the West Midlands Metro booking app either, as tickets cannot currently be bought for any upcoming date.
The service will also be limited when it resumes, with trams running between Wolverhampton St George’s and Birmingham Bull Street - missing out stops such as Birmingham New Street and Library.
The service was suspended on March 19 after cracks were discovered in the bodywork – the third time in the space of nine months – which sparked fury from people in the region.
The issue first reared its head on June 11 last year when all 21 trams were suddenly withdrawn due to cracks in the under-frame structure of the vehicles.
Four days later and a reduced service was started after inspections were completed and the affected trams were repaired, with many thinking the issue was sorted.
However, five months later almost to the day, all of the West Midlands Metro trams were pulled when more cracks were found again – requiring more repairs.
And this time the closure was much longer, initially announced as being for at least four weeks, with Metro chiefs coming under fire in the run-up to Christmas – with services starting up again on December 15, but only between Wolverhampton St George's and Bull Street in Birmingham.
Bosses had hoped the full service would be up and running by the end of January, but it wasn't until February 12, more than three months after services were withdrawn, that the full service running all the way to Birmingham city centre.
And then a month later – on March 19 – the vehicles were pulled again due to "operational reasons" with chiefs later confirming cracks had been found in the bodywork of a number of trams – and setting a target of the end of May for when the trams would return.
