TRANSPORT for West Midlands (TfWM) has announced it will auction off the stored fleet of AnsaldoBreda ‘T69’ trams.
The ‘T69s’ were the original vehicles used by the Midland Metro when it opened in May 1999, but were withdrawn when replaced by the current CAF-built ‘Urbos 3’ trams in 2014/15.
Nos. 01-15 were sent for storage at Long Marston, Warwickshire, while No. 16 was retained for engineering use.
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The 15 stored trams, which are owned by a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Scotland, will be sold in an online auction on January 29.
TfWM said bidders must be registered companies rather than individuals, but added there is no reserve on the trams.
They will be ‘sold as seen’, with viewing by appointment only.
Most are believed to be in a serviceable condition.
The 25m trams comprise two articulated sections.
They have a capacity for up to 156 passengers and a top speed of 44mph (70km/h).
Read more News and Features in January’s issue of The RM – on sale now!
