The modern tram & how!

For those who reminisce after the old trams , how about this modern version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bUxWTaRA...re=youtube_gdat

I'd love to see that come down Corporation Street.

So whats wrong with The Metro? Never used it myself but the wife has she said it was great. When they finally get around to installing it around the town it should be even better. That is until Richard Branson buys it out.

Phil

There's lots of those in the States,I think they are great.

Posted by phil

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So whats wrong with The Metro? Never used it myself but the wife has she said it was great. When they finally get around to installing it around the town it should be even better. That is until Richard Branson buys it out.

Phil

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Have to agree Phil the Metro is an excellent service, I don't think th extension is warranted though

I think perhaps to New Street Station and Moor St, but I cant see it warrants a run around the town and Broad St. I do think roads like Bristol Rd, Stratford Rd, Soho rd an Birchfield Rd should have them as well. Lets tell them to stuff HS2 and well have an integrated tram system in Birmingham in its place. It would be of more use to us.

Phil

The idea of extending the Tram to New street sounds good Phil. But this involves shutting off the top end of Bull street, Corporation Street down to Stephensons Place and beyond. At the present time many hundreds of buses carrying thousands of passengers every day travel that route. That is an awful lot of people inconvenienced compared to a few hundred travelling on the Trams.
If it was part of a great master plan to extend the Tram system over the City Center that would be another matter, but at it's present rate of growth it would take about 600 years.

If London can have an underground system, and add to it occasionally, why not Birmingham after all the tube is nothing but a tram.

Phil

That's a good point but the tube carry's thousands of people per hour over miles. What's more London couldn't function without it. I have nothing against the Tram as an Idea but the Tram simply cannot carry so many passengers.
If for example it was taken down the tunnel from Snow Hill (where it presently terminates) through to Moor Street I think that would make more sense. No roads would have to be shut, It wouldn't take two years to complete and no bus routes would be affected.
As I said the Idea of the Tram is a sound one but the route involved would inconvenience thousands more people on a daily basis than would benefit from it.

I'm not too up on transport systems around Birmingham, but does not Moor St have an underground link with New Street? If they opened up the link with Snow Hill surely it's not beyond capability to somehow link the two tunnels on some sort of a loop?

Phil

Moor Street has a direct tunnel link with Snow Hill. It was part of the old Great Western Railway.

SB

Yes I know that the old link is what they built the Great Western Arcade on top of, but doesn't it also have a current link with New Street?

Phil

Must say I'm not sure on that one Phil, I've been trying to find a plan on the Net, drawn a blank so far

I've just been reading up on Snow Hill, there is no direct link with New Street, but there are two ways it could be linked. From what I read there is a junction at Bordesley where you can either take the New Street Line or Moor St Line.

There is also a tunnel rail approach to New Street that exists under Moor St Station but there is no track connection. I'm no expert in these matters but surely an underground connection could be made here?

Phil

I understand that Phil but the Tram terminates at present at the end of the Moor Street tunnel at Snow Hill, how difficult would it be to take it through to Moor Street.
No roads need be affected. As all traffic including buses will be excluded from the Corporation Street area, I'm glad I don't have a shop there.