Passengers told to find alternative travel with West Midlands Metro suspended
Passengers have been urged to find other ways of travelling after the region's tram fleet was suspended for four weeks after faults were discovered.
West Midlands Metro chiefs said cracks had been discovered on the trams and repairs needed to be carried out "as quickly as possible".
The service was suspended on Saturday and marked the second time the fleet has been pulled from service since cracks were found back in June.
Temporary repairs had been carried out but inspections have revealed more extensive and permanent repairs are now required, Metro bosses say.
Tickets and passes for the service were made valid on alternative modes of transport, including West Midlands Railway and Avanti train services.
They are valid on the National Express bus service 79 between Wolverhampton and West Bromwich and the 74 bus between West Bromwich and Birmingham.
Meanwhile a Metro replacement bus was introduced on Saturday – which will be running on Sunday – at selected stops from 6am, running every 30 minutes.
The Green Bus – a transport company – will pick up people from Birmingham's Livery Street, Jewellery Quarter, The Hawthorns, Price Street in West Bromwich, Black Lake, Wednesbury Great Western Street, Oxford Street in Bilston and Wolverhampton St George's.
A spokesman for West Midlands Metro said staff affected would be redeployed across the company to help people find alternative ways to travel across the region. Staff were kept informed about the services being suspended through internal communication channels, the spokesman added.
People with West Midlands Metro tickets or passes will be able to use these on certain buses.
For more information, visit westmidlandsmetro.com.
