Midland Metro (later West Midlands Metro)

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1444) – Midland Metro tram set 27 seen turning from Corporation Street in to Bull Street in Birmingham heading to Priestfield. One of 21 CAF Urbos 3 units (numbered 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (numbered 1-16) used on the service which opened in May 1999. I rode on this tram to St. Paul’s.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1440) – Midland Metro tram set 17 seen turning from Bull Street in to Corporation Street, Birmingham heading to Grand Central. (This was the trailing end of the tram). One of 21 CAF Urbos 3 units (numbered 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (numbered 1-16) used on the service which opened in May 1999.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1436) – Midland Metro tram set 33 seen turning from Corporation Street in to Bull Street in Birmingham heading to Priestfield. (This was the trailing end of the tram). One of 21 CAF Urbos 3 units (numbered 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (numbered 1-16) used on the service which opened in May 1999.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1437) – Midland Metro tram set 33 seen at the tram stop in Bull Street, Birmingham heading to Grand Central. One of 21 CAF Urbos 3 units (numbered 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (numbered 1-16) used on the service which opened in May 1999.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1439) – Midland Metro tram set 17 seen at the tram stop in Bull Street, Birmingham heading to Grand Central. One of 21 CAF Urbos 3 units (numbered 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (numbered 1-16) used on the service which opened in May 1999.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1436) – Midland Metro tram set 33 seen turning from Corporation Street in to Bull Street in Birmingham heading to Priestfield. (This was the trailing end of the tram). One of 21 CAF Urbos 3 units (numbered 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (numbered 1-16) used on the service which opened in May 1999.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1440) – Midland Metro tram set 17 seen at the tram stop in Bull Street, Birmingham heading to Grand Central. One of 21 CAF Urbos 3 units (numbered 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (numbered 1-16) used on the service which opened in May 1999.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1546) – Midland Metro tram set 33 seen threading its way between the modern buildings of Bull Street, Birmingham. The Wesleyan Assurance building is the backcloth. The Metro fleet consists of 21 similar CAF Urbos 3 units (# 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (#1-16) which launched service May 1999.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1500) – Midland Metro tram set 32 seen at the Grand Central terminus in Stephenson Street, Birmingham having just arrived from Priestfield. The tram will move along the street to the end of the line. After the driver has changed from one driving cab to the other the tram will cross to the adjacent line and load at the platform on the right for the next trip to Priestfield. There are plans to extend the line to Five Ways which will involve the trams making a diagonal turn into Pinfold Street following the profile of the building visible in the far distance up the street. The Metro fleet consists of 21 similar CAF Urbos 3 units (numbered 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (numbered 1-16) used on the service which opened in May 1999. I had arrived on this tram from St. Paul’s. The cladding above the tram on the Grand Central Shopping Centre building is a highly reflective material.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1500) – Midland Metro tram set 32 seen at the Grand Central terminus in Stephenson Street, Birmingham having just arrived from Priestfield. The tram will move along the street to the end of the line. After the driver has changed from one driving cab to the other the tram will cross to the adjacent line and load at the platform on the right for the next trip to Priestfield. There are plans to extend the line to Five Ways which will involve the trams making a diagonal turn into Pinfold Street following the profile of the building visible in the far distance up the street. The Metro fleet consists of 21 similar CAF Urbos 3 units (numbered 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (numbered 1-16) used on the service which opened in May 1999. I had arrived on this tram from St. Paul’s.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1454) – Conductor on board Midland Metro tram set 32 working a journey from Priestfield to Birmingham city centre.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1454) – A view from the rear end on board Midland Metro tram set 32 near St. Chad’s, Birmingham. It was working a journey from Priestfield to the city centre and had just passed a similar tram set heading towards Priestfield. There are 21 trams in the fleet, all are CAF Urbos 3 units (numbered 17-37) built in Spain that entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (numbered 1-16) used on the service which opened in May 1999.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1453) – Midland Metro tram set 32 seen approaching St. Paul’s tram stop in Birmingham on a journey from Priestfield to the city centre. One of 21 CAF Urbos 3 units (numbered 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (numbered 1-16) used on the service which opened in May 1999. I rode on this tram to Grand Central. The two tracks on the left carry Birmingham-Worcester mainline trains and those on the right carry the Metro trams.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1448) – Midland Metro tram set 27 seen at St. Paul’s tram stop in Birmingham heading to Priestfield. One of 21 CAF Urbos 3 units (numbered 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (numbered 1-16) used on the service which opened in May 1999. I had travelled on this tram from Bull Street.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1444) – Midland Metro tram set 27 seen at Bull Street in Birmingham heading to Priestfield. One of 21 CAF Urbos 3 units (numbered 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (numbered 1-16) used on the service which opened in May 1999. I rode on this tram to St. Paul’s.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1531) – Midland Metro tram set 35 seen turning from Stephenson Place to Stephenson Street on the final approach to the terminus at Grand Central shopping centre. The cladding on the shopping centre building is a highly reflective material and creates some curious relections. The Metro fleet consists of 21 CAF Urbos 3 units (# 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1531) – Midland Metro tram set 35 seen on Corporation Street, Birmingham crossing New Street on a journey from Priestfield to the city centre. One of 21 CAF Urbos 3 units (numbered 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (numbered 1-16) used on the service which opened in May 1999.

Saturday 19 August 2017 (1514) – Midland Metro tram set 20 literally at the end of the line in Stephenson Street, Birmingham having just arrived from Priestfield. The passenger platforms are down the street where the people are crossing the tracks. The tram will soon move forward and switch to the track on the left side of the street to load for the next departure to Priestfield. Strangely enough the crossover is not visible in the photograph as it is hidden by the contour of the roadway or light. The two small gaps in the central white line show where the crossover is. There are plans to extend the line to Five Ways which will involve the trams making a diagonal turn into Pinfold Street out of shot behind the camera. The Metro fleet consists of 21 similar CAF Urbos 3 units (# 17-37) built in Spain which entered service in 2014-2015 replacing the original 16 Italian built trams (#1-16) which launched service May 1999.