Mayor does not know when trams will return as West Midlands Metro out of service again
Mayor Andy Street has called on the boss of the West Midlands Metro's tram manufacturer to “get this repair done once and for all” after services were again suspended due to cracks in the vehicles.
The 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 trams. And the news has sparked outrage from passengers and politicians alike.
But last night Conservative West Midlands Mayor Andy Street took to Twitter to apologise and update people on the frustrating situation, admitting he was “ultimately responsible” for services.
Transport for West Midlands is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority led by Mr Street.
He said: “On Saturday, we were told of a new safety concern coming from the manufacturers CAF. It was different to what we had before Christmas as it’s all about cracking in the bodies, particularly around doors.
“Obviously, when you get an instruction like that, all the trams have to come out immediately, safety first, and we’re now going through examining each of them until we know the extent of the problem and, indeed, what is going to be needed to be done to deal with this repair.
“We cannot say exactly when the service will come back. We are also looking at whether we can bring forward our newer trams that have been delivered in advance of the extensions to bring them into service as quickly as possible, so maybe that can be a swift solution as well.
“I know this is deeply frustrating for passengers who are relying on it and I’m sorry, I know it is an unacceptable position.
“I’m ultimately responsible, but I am holding those who are responsible for this to account. I have spoken directly to the CEO of the manufacturer to impress upon them the need for reliable service and to get this repair done once and for all to be sure we’ve got a safe service that everyone can rely on.”
Councillor Waseem Zaffar, cabinet member for transport and environment at Birmingham City Council, said: “The people of our region are fed up with excuses and demand a working Metro service.”
Wolverhampton councillor Phil Bateman 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 one said they were “fuming” after purchasing a £90 pass just before the service was suspended, and others describing the situation as a “joke”.
Andrew Gardiner posted: “Well this is at a point where these trams need scrapping as the chassis appear to be suffering from stress fractures.”
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.”
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 being done to extend this service. It’s 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.”
