Latest Rail News

04.12.17

Original Midlands Metro tram fleet to be auctioned off

The original fleet of Midlands Metro trains is to be auctioned off.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) will sell of its Amsaldo T69 trams, which were taken out of service back in 2014.

The trams, which served the Midland Metro between Birmingham Snow Hill station and Wolverhampton city centre from 1998 to 2014, were phased out following the introduction of the Urbos 3 trams, which are still in use on the network.

The decommissioned trams have been housed at a depot in Long Marston, Warwickshire since.

Councillor Roger Lawrence, the WMCA’s lead member for transport, said: “They are mostly still serviceable so the auction is a good chance for someone to get themselves a bargain.”

A total of 15 trams will be entered into in an e-auction in January, each with a capacity of 156 passengers.

The auction will take place on 29 January 2018 at 10am, and TfWM has said that bidders must be a registered company to take part.

There will be no reserve on the vehicles, which will be sold as seen, but bidding will be in increments of £100.

Visits to the storage facility are by appointment only.

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Comments

Andrew Gwilt   05/12/2017 at 03:13

Why not transfer one of the T69 vehicles to be displayed at the National Railway Museum in York. The former T68 Manchester Tram vehicle could of also been allocated to the NRM in York as a display.

Railfan   05/12/2017 at 09:51

You could convert them to bi-mode operation and use them between Marks Tey and Sudbury or maybe replace pacers on the routes around Bristol or maybe on the north Highland line. But care must be taken.

Jeds   05/12/2017 at 13:38

Trams on the "north Highland" line !!! (To use the correct name the Far North). You must be joking. The current Class 158s on this route are inadequate, and have been blamed in part for declining patronage.

King's Lynn   05/12/2017 at 15:39

I feel the comment by Railfan might be somewhat of a parody...

Andrew Gwilt   12/12/2017 at 02:26

@Railfan. These former Midland Metro trams will not be used on the Marks Tey-Sudbury branch line. So you are incorrect. Please stop mentioning about the branch line in Essex.

Danger: Overhead Irony   14/12/2017 at 17:53

Caution, these trams may cause hyperventilation among stoats.

Cliff   31/12/2017 at 16:33

Note that only 15 of these Ansaldo Trams are up for auction.The final one No 16 is still at Midland Metros Wednesbury depot but does anyone know what is going to happen to it?

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