All aboard? Trams running from The Royal

Trams are now running to the edge of Wolverhampton city centre but bosses say they are no closer to knowing when the line will open fully. more

A £4.5 million upgrade to tracks by transport authority Centro has been hit with delays after abandoned mineworkings were discovered under the line near The Royal stop.

Trams are now running up to The Royal for the first time after three months of being out of action.

Bosses today said that consultants are drawing up plans how to tackle the hole which is 50m long, 8m wide and 3m deep.

Work to tackle the mineworkings is now expected to start in the new year but it is not known at this stage if there will be additional costs.

Centro spokesman Mark Langford said: "We are pleased to report that trams are running to and from The Royal stop in Wolverhampton.

"Everything is running well and we await to hear back from our consultants as to how we deal with the mineworkings that were discovered nearby.

"This has inevitably caused delays. Because of the size of the job we won't know how long it will take to overcome until the consultants report back."

The stop was originally due to re-open in November.

The mine was discovered as workmen dug into the ground to prepare foundations for the new track.

Work between Priestfield and St George's started in September and was due to last 12 weeks. The abandoned mine shaft is beneath a section of the Midland Metro line near The Royal stop on the A41 Bilston Road. Once finished, the trams will have a The work to replace the rails offer a smoother and quieter ride.

The major advantage of the crossover track means trams can turn around at if there is a problem with the ring road or the route at St George's.

Wolverhampton has suffered endless road works in recent months with a major city centre overhaul to the road network coinciding with the tram work.