West Midlands Metro’s new timetable is to be launched on Sunday (1 December) as the network gears up for the opening of the new extension to Centenary Square in Birmingham city centre scheduled for later in the month.
The move means the Grand Central departure platform towards Wolverhampton will now be re-opened following its closure over the last fourteen months to allow extension construction works to continue.
West Midlands Metro Director of Operations, Carl Williams explained: “We are now entering the final phase of preparations for the opening of services through to Centenary Square and this involves intensive testing of our new timetable which is being improved to include the two new tram stops at Town Hall and Library
“At present, tram services will still terminate at Grand Central but after customers have disembarked, trams will then continue to run to Centenary Square and return to go back into Wolverhampton bound service from the re-opened Grand Central platform.”
He explained the trials would not only test the timetable but all the essential signalling and communications equipment along the new route under normal operational conditions.
“It’s a very important part of the whole testing and commissioning programme so that we can deliver the best possible service to our customers when we open. We’ll be continuing to update our website and social media channels to announce our launch plans when we are in a position to do so.”
Metro staff will be at the Grand Central stop during the first week of December to help customers as the new departure platform comes back into use.
You can view the new timetable here.
