Midland Metro
Wolverhampton will see the return of trams to its streets in the second half of 1998. Many large cities and towns on the continent have had tram systems for most of this century but in Britain they had all but disappeared by the 1950s. The only surviving electric tramway system was along the Promenade at Blackpool, a northern seaside resort.
All that has changed in the past few years. Despite the shortage of government funding new systems have been built in Manchester and Sheffield and work has started on another south of London. Line One of the Midland Metro will run for 20.4km between Wolverhampton and Birmingham, the major regional city (where the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest is being held!). Some £31 of funding for the project has come from European Regional Development Funds.
A joint venture company called Altram is building the Metro. This is a partnership between the British company John Laing and the Italian manufacturer of trams, Ansaldi Trasporti Spa. The third partner is Travel West Midlands, the area's largest bus company, who will operate the line.
Most of it follows the route of the former Great Western Railway from Snow Hill Station in Birmingham but its final 2km into Wolverhampton will be street running. The Great Western line was closed in the early 1970s and the entire track removed. This was a time when thousands of miles of railways were closing all over Britain. Most of the new track is now in place except for some of the street tracks. A landmark bridge has been built in town to take the lines across the Ring Road and into its terminus. This will be illuminated at night and should look very impressive.
There are many reasons why we need the Metro in our area. The roads are very overcrowded and it's hoped that many car journeys will be replaced as people opt for the frequent tram service. It is also much more environmentally friendly than the car, creating less pollution and is much quieter. It is also expected that more economic investment and development will occur in the derelict areas through which it will pass.
Unfortunately, longer-term plans for expansion throughout the West Midlands have all but been abandoned. There seems to be no possibility of large scale funding by the government. Probably the best that can be expected is that some small-scale extensions to Line One will be built in a few years. This might include a loop around Wolverhampton town centre and a line to the large Merry Hill Shopping Centre.