All West Midlands Metro trams still out of service after fault identified
All West Midlands Metro trams are still out of service three days after a fault was identified.
Twenty-one trams were removed from service on Friday morning until further notice after the vehicle manufacturer identified cracks in the underframe structure at either end of the tram.
Inspections of the trams are set to be completed by Monday, then Midland Metro will decide when to resume service.
An update is expected later on Monday.
Metro tickets and passes will be valid on some alternative modes of transport including some bus services, West Midlands Railway and Avanti train services.
Steve McAleavy, managing director Midland Metro Ltd, said on Friday: “Firstly I want to say how sorry we are for the inconvenience the suspension has caused to the many people who depend on West Midlands Metro services everyday.
“The Metro team have done an outstanding job during the pandemic to continue to deliver safe and reliable services, so it is a great disappointment that we have had to suspend services just when people are travelling more confidently.
“We have a fleet of CAF Urbos 3 trams and the manufacturer of those trams in a maintenance inspection identified some cracks in the underframe structure at either end of the tram. CAF were unable to assure us that the cracks did not represent a safety issue if we continued to operate.
“Our first priority is to ensure the safety of our customers and our colleagues and therefore the right thing to do was to remove the trams from service whilst inspections are carried out.
“The inspections have already commenced and will continue throughout the weekend and will be completed by Monday. Once the inspections have been completed we will be able to make a decision about when we can resume service.
“We will be keeping everyone updated via social media and will issue updates as we get more information.”
Eight new trams were brought in recently from Spain as part of a multi-million pound expansion of the network. Work has been ongoing in Wolverhampton city centre over recent years to extend the Metro line to the rebuilt train station.
Find the latest information at westmidlandsmetro.com
