Friends of the Earth
Action Briefing Aug /Sept 1999
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Birmingham Friends of the Earth Action Briefing Aug /Sept 1999 |
Midland Metro opened for fare paying passengers on 31st May, and so after a gap of 46 years, trams have made a comeback to the West Midlands. It was during the 1950's that most towns and cities throughout Britain (including Birmingham dismantled their tram networks, while in contrast, most authorities in continental Europe were busy modernising and expanding their systems. The large-scale abandonment of tram systems was a short-sighted move on the part of many authorities, especially since several places in Britain have witnessed or expect to witness the return of the tram.
The new £145 million state-of-the-art Midland Metro Line One runs from Birmingham Snow Hill to Wolverhampton via West Bromwich and Wednesbury, and for most of its 20 km length, uses the track bed of the former Snow Hill to Wolverhampton railway line. With 21 intermediate stops, the through journey takes 35 minutes - considerably longer than the train service but quicker than the bus. However most of the journeys made on the Metro are more likely to be to or from intermediate stations rather than end to end trips. When I turned up, trams were running every 10 minutes, but this has since been increased to every 6 minutes through most of the day; and trams run till about midnight.
On the tram platform at Snow Hill, the first thing that I noticed, were the large automatic ticket machines. These are installed at every stop on the route, and are able to dispense a wide variety [Some may call it bewildering variety, Ed.] of tickets including through tram/rail tickets to destinations on the Stourbridge to Leamington via Snow Hill line, as well as tram tickets with bus add-ons. They also give you change! Integrated ticketing is a major element in marketing the service so that 'seamless' journeys can be made, enabling passengers to transfer from Metro to bus and train services with ease. If you want to try the Metro, or have a day out Wolverhampton, look out for the combined bus & Metro ticket; it should be available on TWM busses.
The trams are much shorter than I had expected and only have about 60 seats, although with the large amount of standing room, a total of 160 people could be accommodated. Apart from the extreme outer ends of the vehicles, the low floor design and wide doorways enable easy access for wheelchairs and disabled people. Curiously, prominent notices inside state that eating is forbidden, dogs (except guide dogs) are not allowed, and neither are cycles. This all seemed a little restrictive. However as a consolation for cyclists, most of the stops have cycle stands which are protected by CCTV cameras for security.
The tram was swift, silent and comfortable, and I was impressed by the smooth ride. On board pre-recorded announcements and electronic displays heralded the approach of each station stop. Since most of the route uses a disused railway line, it felt more like being on a train than a tram. However after the Priestfield stop (near Bilston), the tram diverges from the former railway line and for the last 2 km of the journey trundles along the Bilston Road into Wolverhampton, rubbing shoulders with road traffic. The contrast of the clean quiet trams gliding amongst the noise and fumes of road traffic was quite striking. Overall, I was impressed with the convenience and quality of the service which is obviously proving to be popular with other travellers, since even the off peak services seem to be well used. A pity, I thought, that this is the only route, and will be for some time to come.
In the early 1980's when a group of far-sighted transport planners from the West Midlands PTE started planning Midland Metro, a network was envisaged initially with three main routes. Line One was to run from Snow Hill to Wolverhampton (now open), Line 2 from Five Ways to the NEC and Airport via Castle Bromwich, and Line 3 from Wolverhampton to Brierley Hill via Willenhall, Walsall and Dudley. Lines 2 and 3 have been shelved due in part to the difficulty in securing finance for large-scale light rail schemes. Now a less ambitious expansion policy has been adopted whereby Midland Metro will now only be extended in a series of 'bite sized chunks' added to Line One. Thus, at the moment, the only extensions to be built in the next few years will be from Snow Hill to Edgbaston Shopping Centre via Broad Street and Five Ways, and from Wednesbury to Merry Hill. Funding is currently being sought for these schemes, with a large proportion of the finance expected to come from private sources in the shape of local property developers.
The West Midlands conurbation is the fifth largest urban area in Europe and must be the largest without a decent network of rapid transit routes in the form of a tram or underground system. With the slow rate of Metro extensions proposed, Birmingham and the West Midlands is likely to have a long wait before it gets the sort of rapid transit network enjoyed by other European cities. Indeed, central government has now turned lukewarm to any new large-scale light rail or tram schemes being planned. Improved bus services and 'bus showcase' schemes, they argue, are a far cheaper option. However cheapest does not always mean best. Tram and light rail schemes using zero emission electric vehicles are a much more efficient and environmentally friendly method of moving large volumes of people along busy traffic corridors, and are more effective in tempting people from their cars. Centro, in their 20 year strategy document, have recognised that on high volume routes, bus services will be unable to cope with demand, and options other than 'bus showcase' need to be considered. If traffic congestion and pollution in the West Midlands is to be eased, and people tempted from their cars, then a high quality rapid transit network such as Midland Metro is badly needed.