Anger grows as West Midlands Metro trams remain parked up after more cracks found

The West Midlands Metro service was first taken out of action on Saturday morning, before it was revealed it would remain that way until "further notice".

It marks the third time in nine months the network from Wolverhampton to Birmingham has been sidelined after cracks were discovered in the the trams.

And the news has sparked outrage from passengers and politicians alike, with calls being made for answers and reassurance ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

Councillor Waseem Zaffar, cabinet member for transport and environment at Birmingham City Council, called for Conservative West Midlands Mayor Andy Street - who has so far not spoken about the latest problem to befall the Metro - to take "full accountability" for the issue.

In an open letter the Labour councillor said: "For the third time in nine months, the West Midlands Metro service has been suspended as a result of cracks appearing in the trams.

"The last time this happened, in November, I was given assurances that this would be resolved once and for all. When the trams went back into service last month, I was hopeful that the issue had been dealt with and that the people of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands could look forward to a reliable service in future.

"Once again, you have broken your promises and the trams have ground to a halt. The people of our region are fed up with excuses and demand a working Metro service."

Councillor Zaffar said the region needed "certainty" the network was going to be fully operational for the Commonwealth Games.

Councillor Phil Bateman, who represents Wednesfield North on Wolverhampton Council, said the latest suspension was a "kick in the teeth" for the region's economy – and said the disruption and uncertainty would affect people's confidence in the service.

Meanwhile passengers have reacted angrily on social media, with one saying they were "fuming" after purchasing a £90 pass just before the service was suspended, with others describing the situation as a "joke".

Andrew Gardiner said: "Well this is at a point where these trams need scrapping as the chassis’s appear to be suffering from stress fractures they have either been poorly designed and the chassis cannot take the loads exerted on it during service or they’ve been made from substandard materials that cannot take the design loads exerted on it.

"Either way these trams now have significant long term safety issues now as there has to be significant concerns around their design and capacity to handle the loads they take during service."

Another user said: "In principle the tram idea was good, but you can’t call it a reliable service, it seems it’s either broken down or there’s operational issues. Waste of money."

Others have also been asking Mr Street on social media for answers or for someone to be to accountable, while others have questioned the extension.

Currently new lines are planned to Wolverhampton railway station and through Dudley town centre to Merry Hill and Brierley Hill.

June Fox said: "Stop the work that is being done to extend this service. Its not fit for purpose. [It's a] shambles that is affecting peoples livelihoods, from those who work on them to those using them to travel on."

A spokesman for the service said: "Following the identification of new bodywork cracks on our older trams, West Midlands Metro has taken the difficult decision to temporarily suspend services so detailed inspections can be undertaken by the manufacturer.

"We want to ensure we have a network that is reliable and safe for everyone and we understand first-hand the impact the suspension of services will have on our customers’ daily lives. These precautionary inspections will greatly reduce the number of trams available for operation which is why we have had to take the decision to suspend the service.

"We understand the frustration many people will feel at this latest interruption and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience it may cause."