Tram Stops in the Black Country from Wolverhampton to West Bromwich
A look at the tram stops in the Black Country of the West Midlands. Mainly in Wolverhampton, Bilston, Wednesbury and West Bromwich. They all originally opened back in 1999, but have since been altered to allow the new Urbos 3 trams to stop at them. Midland Metro line 1 goes from Wolverhampton St George's towards The Hawthorns before heading into Birmingham.
A look at some of the main tram stops in the Black Country between Wolverhampton and West Bromwich, including stops in Bilston and Wednesbury.
Starting with some of the tram stops that are in Wolverhampton.
The tram stop opened on the 31st May 1999 and is the current terminus of line 1 on what is now known as the West Midlands Metro (formerly Midland Metro). T69 trams used to run between here and the former Snow Hill Tram Stop, until they were replaced by the Urbos 3 trams in 2014 - 2015. When the Birmingham City Centre extension opened in 2015 - 2016 to Grand Central, the T69's were retired, some were later scrapped.
dndimg alt="Tram 20 at Wolverhampton St George's Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Wolverhampton St Georges Tram Stop - Tram 20.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
It was built as an island platform with a crossover loop, but was changed in 2015 when one platform was removed and is now used by buses. They are currently building an extension loop around to Wolverhampton Station (a redevelopment project has just started there) with stops at Pipers Row and Wolverhampton Station.
dndimg alt="Wolverhampton St George's Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Wolverhampton St Georges Tram Stop.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The tram stop opened on the 31st May 1999. It was named after a nearby hospital called the Royal Hospital which closed in 1997.
dndimg alt="Tram 33 at The Royal Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/The Royal Tram Stop - Tram 33.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The line from Priestfield to Wolverhampton St George's was closed for around 6 months in 2017 along the Bilston Road so that they could replace the tram tracks. This section reopened by the end of the year. The former Royal Hospital is Grade II listed and the former Tram & Bus Depot nearby was demolished for new housing. Tesco did acquire the hospital building in 2001 for a retail development but was sold to the Homes and Communities Agency in 2015 for residential development.
dndimg alt="The Royal Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/The Royal Tram Stop.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The tram stop opened on the 31st May 1999 along the brick lined former Great Western Railway cutting. The platforms are staggered.
dndimg alt="Tram 36 at Bilston Central Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Bilston Central Tram Stop - Tram 36.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
There are entrances at both ends of the tram stop. One end has a lift with steps. The other end has steps. The tram stop is a short distance to the north from the original Bilston Station on the Birmingham Snow Hill-Wolverhampton Low Level Line that closed down in 1972.
dndimg alt="Bilston Central Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Bilston Central Tram Stop.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The tram stops below are all with Sandwell.
This tram stop is in Wednesbury, and opened on the 31st May 1999.It has park and ride facilities. Get off here for walks along the Walsall Canal.
dndimg alt="Tram 31 at Wednesbury Parkway Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Wednesbury Parkway Tram Stop - Tram 31.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The tram stop also has a third platform with a track as tram start from the Wednesbury Tram Depot which is next to Wednesbury Great Western Street Tram Stop. That platform is for trams that terminate here.
dndimg alt="Wednesbury Parkway Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Wednesbury Parkway Tram Stop.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The tram stop opened on the 31st May 1999 and it is near the Midland Metro tram depot (the base of the current and the former trams that used to be based there). The stop was built on the site of the former Wednesbury Central Station which closed in 1972.
dndimg alt="Tram 31 at Wednesbury Great Western Street Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Wednesbury Great Western Street Tram Stop - Tram 31.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Another former railway line runs close to underneath this tram stop. It was the South Staffordshire Line. The line towards Brierley Hill will be used to build a new extension. The overgrowth that has grown over the years has been cut down. The line could open by 2023. It will share trackbed with a heavy rail line to Walsall.
dndimg alt="Wednesbury Great Western Street Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Wednesbury Great Western Street Tram Stop.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The tram stop opened on the 31st May 1999 and is to the western side of West Bromwich Town Centre. The stop is in a deep cutting. Sometimes just known as Lodge Road Tram Stop. Has West Bromwich Town Hall in it's name as it is nearby.
dndimg alt="Tram 33 at Lodge Road West Bromwich Town Hall Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Lodge Road West Bromwich Town Hall Tram Stop - Tram 33.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
As with Bilston Central, this tram stop has a lift with stairs at one end, and a ramp / walkway at the other end. It was one of the least used tram stops in the year 2015 / 16.
dndimg alt="Lodge Road West Bromwich Town Hall Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Lodge Road West Bromwich Town Hall Tram Stop.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
This is the tram stop to use if you want to go to West Bromwich Town Centre. It opened on the 31st May 1999 and is quite close to West Bromwich Bus Station, and the shops. Sandwell College was built close to the tram stop,
dndimg alt="Tram 17 at West Bromwich Central Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/West Bromwich Central Tram Stop - Tram 17.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
It was built on the site of the former West Bromwich Station on the Great Western Railway line from Birmingham Snow Hill to Wolverhampton Low Level. In 2015/16 it was the most heavily used intermediate tram stop on line 1.
dndimg alt="West Bromwich Central Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/West Bromwich Central Tram Stop.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
The railway station on the Jewellery line opened in 1995. While the tram stop opened on Midland Metro line 1 in 1999. The site was the location of The Hawthorns Halt from 1931 until 1968 opened by the Great Western Railway on their line from London Paddington via Birmingham Snow Hill to Birkenhead. The current station opened in 1995 when the Jewellery line was built connecting Birmingham Snow Hill to Smethwick and Stourbridge on the line to Worcester via Kidderminster.
T69 trams such as the one below were still being used late into 2014, as the Urbos 3 were introduced, but they were withdrawn from service in 2015. Many of them going to be scrapped.
dndimg alt="Tram 10 at The Hawthorns Tram Stop" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Tram10 TheHawthorns.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Football fans travel to this tram stop (or get the train) to watch the home matches of West Bromwich Albion FC play at The Hawthorns Stadium. There is separate paths for fans of different teams as they walk to the stadium. It is easy to interchange here between trams and trains (similar to Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham). So if you want to change between trams and trains do it here or at the Jewellery Quarter (at Birmingham Snow Hill, the new St Chad's Tram Stop you have to go down to road level then walk around under the Queensway tunnel or head towards the Colmore Row entrance, or use Bull Street Tram Stop).
dndimg alt="The Hawthorns Tram Stop and Railway Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/The Hawthorns Tram Stop and Railway Station.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Photos taken by Elliott Brown.