ROLLING STOCK
New Midland Metro trams go on show T
New Urbos 3 trams made by CAF got a warm welcome in the West Midlands. Adam Hewitt reports.
he fi rst of the Midland Metro’s new, Spanish-built trams will start going into service between Wolverhampton and Birmingham Snow Hill later this summer, as transport authority Centro steadily replaces all its existing trams with the new £40m, 21-strong fl eet.
One of the new Urbos 3 tram went on public display at the St George’s stop in Wolverhampton in June to offer commuters and transport enthusiasts “a taste of things to come”.
Centro spokesman Steve Swingley told RTM: “We had an excellent turnout with several hundred members of the public coming along to take a look around the new tram and the general feedback was extremely positive.”
Centro’s lead member for rail and Metro, Cllr Roger Horton, said: “The existing Metro
service is already very good but these new trams, with their 21st century technology and modern, spacious design, will improve things still further.
“They are quieter, smoother and generally more comfortable than the existing trams but the event [gave] people a chance to come and see for themselves.”
The Urbos 3 vehicle is made by Zaragoza-based CAF, and varieties of the design are in service in cities around the world, from Cincinnati to Stockholm to Sydney.
It is a third bigger than the Metro’s existing trams, the T-69s built by Italian company AnsaldoBreda, as they carry passengers compared to 156.
about 210
This, together with an increased frequency of every six minutes throughout the day, will
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124 | rail technology magazine Jun/Jul 14
boost the system’s overall capacity by 40%, helping to ease peak-time overcrowding.
The new trams will eventually be deployed on the Metro extension now being constructed between Birmingham’s Snow Hill and New Street stations which, when completed next year, will see trams return to the city’s streets for the fi rst time in more than 60 years.
The extension, a joint project by Centro and the Black Country and Birmingham City councils, is expected to create more than 1,300 new jobs and boost the regional economy by more than £50m.
It is also expected to increase the number of passengers using the Metro from fi ve million a year to eight.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.networkwestmidlands.com/metro
Colas buys 10 Class 60 locos from DB Schenker
C
olas Rail has bought 10 Class 60 locomotives from DB Schenker Rail UK – expanding its fl eet of freight locomotives and infrastructure maintenance machines.
The purchase price, however, has not been disclosed. The locos will be overhauled by DB Schenker Rail UK at its Toton Train Maintenance Depot to the enhanced ‘Super 60’ specifi cation.
Stephen Haynes, managing director of Colas Rail Services, said: “This order for 10 ‘Super’ Class 60 locomotives, as well as the acquisition of 10 new Class 70 locomotives announced earlier in the year, which have all been delivered, demonstrates Colas Rail’s commitment to signifi cantly develop and grow our Freight haulage business in the UK.
“This increase in capacity will allow us to serve an expanding portfolio of customers and contracts delivering the highest levels of service to our customers.”
Colas, part of the Bouygues Group, which has a turnover of €33.3bn, also stated that the fi rst locomotives will go into commercial service this month.
One of the Class 60s was named in honour of charity Clic Sargent at the Rail Live event. More on page 112-114.
www.colasrail.co.uk FOR MORE INFORMATION
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