No Metro until the end of May, bosses confirm

WEST Midlands Metro services will not return to Birmingham until the end of May.

It means services will have been suspended for two-months.

Trams were unexpectedly pulled from service in March after cracks in the bodywork of doors were discovered, as previously reported in the Post.

It was the third time in just nine months services faced disruption.

West Midlands mayor Andy Street said issues with the old fleet were to blame.

Many frustrated passengers who rely on trams for their commute to work have been scathing about the problems and the Government says it is monitoring the situation.

Services were axed as a safety precaution. It had been hoped they would return this month.

But in a new statement, West Midlands Metro said: “We are sorry for the inconvenience that has been caused to your travel arrangements while Metro services are suspended.

“The safety and security of our customers and team members is always our first priority.

“We are continuing to work closely with the manufacturer and have begun a programme of works to replace the cracked body panels. We expect services to resume by the end of May. Engineers from across the UK and overseas are working together to resume services as soon as possible.

“Every effort is being made to bring this date forward, including potentially taking trams off site for the panels to be replaced so that multiple repairs can be carried out at the same time. The introduction of our new trams is also continuing, with another tram successfully completing the thorough testing and commissioning programme this week.

“We will continue to process refunds for Metro tickets and passes for customers that have been affected by the suspension of services.”

The bodywork cracks are new issues affecting the older fleet in the city.

Tram services were suspended last June and again in November last year after issues linked to the bodywork and wheels were found.