Midland Metro trams blocked as abandoned car somehow left straddling tracks
Trams from Wolverhampton were forced to terminate early this morning after a car was discovered blocking the tracks in Birmingham city centre, causing chaos for passengers.
The incident left hundreds of people who were piling into the city centre for the weekend Pride festival to walk or find alternative transport the last part of their journey.
The Peugeot 207 was left straddling the tracks next to Snow Hill Station, meaning trams were unable to reach their final Bull Street stop for more than three hours.
After announcing the blockage at 8am, Midland Metro tweeted an hour later to explain to passengers why they would have to take a bus, train or walk from St Paul's.
Tram tickets were being accepted on other public transport routes.
And by 10.40am the grey hatchback was still there.
But progress was soon being made and shortly after 11am the Wolverhampton to Birmingham line was back operating as normal.
It is not clear how the 58-plate car, with a flat front tyre, ended up on the line, which is raised above the busy Queensway road.
The vehicle was eventually manoeuvred on to a lowloader and taken away, and the line reopened.
British Transport Police were called to the scene and the driver taken away for questioning.
A force spokesman said: "We were called to the line at the Snow Hill tram stop on Sunday at around 8am which followed a report that a car was on the track.
"Officers attended the location and helped to safely remove the car.
"The driver of the vehicle is helping officers with their inquiries as they work to establish how the car came to be on the tracks."
