Early morning travel across the West Midlands was thrown into chaos on Tuesday as Storm Goretti battered the region, bringing down a tree directly onto the Metro tram network.
Major Tram Disruption
The severe weather struck overnight, with strong winds and heavy rain causing hazardous conditions. West Midlands Metro confirmed at 5:18am that a fallen tree was blocking the tracks between Wednesbury Parkway and Edgbaston Village.
This critical obstruction meant trams were completely unable to operate on that section of the line. Services were only able to run on a reduced route, between Wolverhampton Station and Wednesbury Parkway, while emergency engineers were dispatched to the scene.
Bus Services Also Affected
The storm's impact was not limited to the tram network. National Express West Midlands suspended all of its bus services until at least 6am as a safety precaution.
Furthermore, the usual ticket acceptance agreement between buses and trams was cancelled for the duration of the disruption, adding to the complexity for stranded commuters. Passengers were strongly advised to seek alternative travel arrangements and allow significant extra time for their journeys.
Clean-Up and Recovery Efforts
Engineers worked through the early hours to clear the fallen tree from the line and assess whether the storm had caused any lasting damage to the infrastructure.
West Midlands Metro stated that further updates would be provided once the line was fully cleared and normal services could resume. The disruption served as a stark reminder of the widespread travel problems that severe weather can cause across the region's public transport network.
