(United Kingdom )BIRMINGHAM

Birmingham
The Birmingham Midland Metro project was launched in the middle of years 80s, in order to connect the West Midlands main industrial agglomerations (the regional population is 2.5 millions inhabitants).
West Midlands suffered in the last decades the consequencies of a massive industrial reconversion caused by the dismission of many steelworks in favour of other activities (like the tertiary): the insertion of an efficient transport system was seen as a new opportunity for a new development of the whole area.
Some technical and economical problems caused delays and project reductions: just one of the 3 predicted lines has been realized (Line 1, 1999), along the elder Greater Western Railway route, between Birmingham Snow Hill and Wolverhampton. Fixed facilities and rolling stock were provided by Altram Consortium, leaded by Ansaldo.
In 2004-2005 English Government approved:
- an extension from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill (11 Km, 13 stops, total cost 139 M Pounds, predicted opening in 2011) ;
- a ground level section (3.2 km, 8 stops, to be completed in 2011) from Birmingham Snow Hill to Birmingham center (Five Ways and Edgbaston Shopping Centre).
Other future corridors are currently considered (among them the direct connection city center-airport).
www.travelmetro.co.uk (official site)

CHRONOLOGY
31-05-1999	Birmingham Snow Hill-Wolverhampton St. Georges

Country	United Kingdom
Line	Midland Metro - Line 1
Inhabitants	City 2.270.000
Date opening	1999
Future development:	Brierley Hill extension (2011), city center extension (Five Ways and Edgbaston Shopping Centre, 2011)
Length (km)	20.4
Track sections	--
Stops	23, average distance m 927
Platforms	--
Platform doors	--
General characteristics	--
n. of vehicles	16
n. of cars per vehicle	2
Type	steel wheels
Vehicle dimensions (m)	--
Vehicle capacity (pax)	208 (56 seated)
Frequency	6/10 min
Current/Voltage	750 V DC overhead
Type of guide/gauge	rails
Speed Km/h	Max 70
Accel./Decel. (m/sec2)	--
System capacity	--
Ridership	50.000 pax/day
Total cost	144.8 M Euro
Staff	100
System builder	ANSALDO
Model	T69
NOTE	--