CENTRO

Keeping the West Midlands moving

ApplicantWest Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (Centro),Centro House, 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham

Design StatementJuly 2003

Midland MetroCity Centre Extension

CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Design Context 2

The Route 3

Relevant Planning & Design Policy 4

Townscape Assessment 5

Design Principles 8

Accessing The System 8

Footpaths to Tramstops 8

Cycling 9

Tramstop Layout and Arrangement 10

Platforms 10

Surface Materials 11

Shelters 12

Canopies/Awnings 14

Seating 15

Litter Bins 15

Passenger Information and Display Board including Real Time Information 15

Ticket Machines 15

Signage 16

Lighting 16

CCTV 17

Help Points 17

Advertising 17

Surface Treatments and Track Arrangements 18

Overhead Line Equipment (OHLE) 18

Trackside Equipment 21

Sub-Stations 21

Bridges and Viaducts 21

Landscape Works 22

Public Art 23

Site Specific Design Guidelines 24

Great Charles Street Queensway Viaduct to Upper Bull Street 25

Upper Bull Street Junction to Stephenson Place via Corporation Street 32

Alternative to Waterstones Building 38

Stephenson Place to Paradise Street via Stephenson Street, Pinfold Street and Victoria Square 40

Paradise Street to Broad Street via Paradise Circus 50

Broad Street to Hagley Road via Five Ways 57

Appendices 63

Construction Phase 63

System Wide Requirements 64

Tree Crown Management Near Tram DKE’s 65

Developers Technical Guide for Metro Extensions 2002 Revision 66

1

INTRODUCTION

The over-riding principle for the development ofMidland Metro is the promotion of a publictransport system of high quality to rival other‘world class’ cities. There are many examplespioneered by other cities for the ‘urban metro’and this provides the West Midlands with anopportunity to learn from others and design a‘world class’ system.

Midland Metro Line 1 commenced operation in1999 and in 2001/02 there were 4.8 millionpassenger journeys. It is regarded as one ofthe most accessible and sensitively designedsystems in the United Kingdom due to the lowfloor system, high quality landscape works andquality infrastructure.

Midland Metro Line 1 was designed, built andis now operated and maintained by theconcessionaire, Altram. The aesthetic of theinfrastructure, landscape works and vehiclewas a response to Centro’s designperformance specification, which formed partof the core contract documents.

Centro is now seeking Transport and WorksAct approval for two extensions, BirminghamCity Centre and Wednesbury to Brierley Hill.Engineering, environmental and economicwork has been undertaken to enable thesubmission of an Order application to theSecretary of State under the Transport andWorks Act. Following Government approvalCentro will let a contract with a Concessionaireto design, build, operate and maintain thesetwo extensions to Midland Metro line 1.

The aim of this guide is to set out designaspirations and recommendations for the

Birmingham City Centre extension to MidlandMetro. It will assist in the illustration ofproposed mitigation measures as set out in theEnvironmental Statements for the projects andfollowing Transport and Works Act approval,also forms the basis of design guidance forprospective concessionaires. It embraces muchof the architectural design styling andsuccessful features of Midland Metro Line 1 butintroduces new ideas and alternatives forsystem elements that require improvement andadaptation to city centre streets.

This guide will also assist any futureConcessionaire in discharging planningconditions applied to the deemed planningconsent as part of the Order. In particular, theConcessionaire will be responsible for securingthe approval of the local planning authority forthe design and external appearance of thetram infrastructure.

In short it sets out a statement of principles toensure that the development of the MidlandMetro Network is designed to the higheststandards and is an attractive, easy to use andenjoyable public transport experience. Alldetailed design of Midland Metro will also besubject to the approval of the RailwayInspectorate and any conditions imposed bythe Secretary of State.

Midland Metro Line 1 - St Georges Metro Stop

Midland Metro Line 1 - Wolverhampton ‘Segregated Running’

2

DESIGN CONTEXT

There is a balance to be struck between,appearance, safety, efficiency and conveniencein the design of any tram system. MidlandMetro is no exception to this and Line 1 is atypical example of this balance of function andaesthetics. However, it is essential thatprinciples are established to ensure that allsuccessful elements of Line 1 are carriedthrough and complimented by new designsolutions into the Midland Metro extensions.The Birmingham City Centre extension ispredominantly made up of street runningsections, and as such, particular care andattention needs to be taken to ensure thatMidland Metro responds positively to localtownscape character. Midland Metro shouldnot just be seen as another ‘transport utility’ butan asset to the quality and attractiveness of theurban centres and should be a designstatement in its own right.

This Extension to Metro Line 1 will help todeliver a sustainable transport system forBirmingham. However, its construction andoperation will inevitably have some negativeenvironmental effects for a short time, whichmust be considered and minimised. Somenegative impacts will be capable of mitigationby good design, but others may have to bebalanced against a range of factors.

An Environmental Statement has beenprepared for this extension and this documentwill be used to illustrate how long term visualand townscape impacts of the system will beaddressed. Following Transport and WorksAct approval Centro will require any futureConcessionaire to take account of theEnvironmental Statement and implement theappropriate mitigation measures. This guide

will help the Concessionaire to preparedetailed designs for all aspects of the systemand ensure effective environmentalstewardship.

Tram systems are major undertakings and arelikely to be part of the urban transport networkfor many years to come. Therefore, the designprinciples behind the development of theMidland Metro network should be based on:-

● Simple, timeless and easily adaptable design solutions

● Components should be durable and made of high quality materials so as to reduce maintenance liability and increase the design life of the system;

● A simple palette of colour and materials should be developed that is both distinctive and sustainable

● A legible, easy to use and safe system● Designs that respect the city centre

context/surroundings

With these principles in mind this Guide setsout parameters for the detailed design aspects of the system.

Midland Metro Line 1 - Wolverhampton Terminus

Midland Metro Line 1 - St Georges Metro Stop at Night

3

THE ROUTE

To compliment the assessment methodologyused in the environmental strategy, the designguidelines will divide the route into thefollowing sections:

● Great Charles Street Queensway Viaduct to Upper Bull Street;

● Upper Bull Street to Stephenson Place via Corporation Street;

● Stephenson Place to Paradise Street via Stephenson Street, Pinfold Street and Victoria Square;

● Paradise Street to Broad Street via Paradise Circus; and

● Broad Street to Hagley Road, via Five Ways

4

RELEVANT PLANNING & DESIGNPOLICIES

No part of the study area is designated for itsinternational, national or regional landscapevalue.

Local landscape policies and designations arecovered by the (yet to be adopted) BirminghamUnitary Development Plan (UDP) (1), however,these policies illustrate Birmingham CityCouncil’s latest thinking and are clearlyreflected in the development of the city centreMetro Extension. A detailed assessment ofplans and policies are made in Section 4 ofthe Environmental Statement. Some keypolicies are highlighted below as being ofparticular relevance to townscape.

Chapter 3: Environment of the BirminghamUDP sets out the Council’s policy fortownscape. Importance is placed on ‘GoodUrban Design Principles’ and paragraph3.14D underlines the City Council’s intent toconsider the impact that a proposeddevelopment will have on the local character ofthe area, including topography, street patterns,building lines, boundary treatments, views,skyline, open space and landscape, scale and

massing, and neighbouring uses. It also statesthat landscaping should be an integral part ofall major development proposals, and shouldbe designed to complement the newdevelopment and surrounding area.

Paragraph 3.16A sets out the Council’s policywith regard to trees. ‘Developers will beexpected to give priority to the retention oftrees and existing landscaping should also bekept and protected where possible. Wheretrees are lost as a result of development,replacement trees will be required.’

Conservation Areas

The City Centre scheme runs through oneConservation Area. The Colmore Row andEnvirons conservation area (2) covers the coreof the city centre. Within conservation areas,‘emphasis will be on protecting and enhancingthe individual character and appearance of theparticular area.’

(1) Birmingham City Council. 2001: Birmingham Unitary Development Plan - Draft for Deposit

(2) The Colmore Row and Environs conservation area was designed in October 1971

Victoria Square Birmingham

TOWNSCAPE ASSESSMENT

A landscape assessment along the route of theproposed scheme was undertaken byEnvironmental Resources Management (ERM)as part of the Environmental Statement (ES).This identified five distinct townscape characterzones (CZs). As the assessment was focussedon a linear route, definitive boundaries to thesezones were not identified except along theroute of the proposed metro. It should benoted that these CZs do not correspond to thefive sections of the route used throughout theremainder of this document.

The Snow Hill character zone is focusedaround Snow Hill Station and Colmore CircusQueensway.

The character of this area is dominated by anumber of high-rise office blocks of noparticular architectural style. There is a furthermajor office development under construction,which will include a high quality landscapedplaza at its base to link the surroundingbuildings. The car park to the north of SnowHill Station is also marked for redevelopment.As a result, the existing site is considered to bea development site of low townscape qualityawaiting construction.

The CZ is currently under major redevelopmentand is rapidly changing.

The Retail Centre character zone is focussedalong the Colmore Row and EnvironsConservation Area, New Street andCorporation Street but also takes in PinfoldStreet, Stephenson Street, Stephenson Placeand Bull Street.

The Colmore Row and Environs ConservationArea has many Listed Buildings as well as StPhillips Cathedral with its recently enhancedgrounds offering a high quality public space inthe heart of the city. New Street is a relativelyenclosed and intimate street bound by five tosix storey buildings fronting onto the street,which at pedestrian level is dominated by shopfrontages typical of any major town centre. Alarge number of the buildings are of

architectural importance at the upper levels, anumber of which are listed and are generallyoccupied by offices and a number of infillbuildings are of a more modern design. Thestreet itself is a bustling pedestrianised zonewith good quality paving and street furnitureand a number of semi-mature street trees givethe area a pleasant cosmopolitan character.Pinfold Street, Corporation Street, Bull Streetand the western end of Stephenson Street aresimilar with high quality surfacing andattractive buildings but are still open to traffic.Both Corporation St and Pinfold Street alsohave a number of buildings of architecturalimportance, which are listed.

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Character Zone 1: Snow Hill

Character Zone 2: Retail Centre

The eastern end of Stephenson Street andStephenson Place have shops at ground leveland some attractive buildings on the northernside of the road, with the Waterstones buildingon the corner of Stephenson Street andStephenson Place being listed and offeringsignificant architectural interest. However, ingeneral this area of Stephenson Street does notretain the same high quality built character dueto the scale and bland exterior of the Palisadesshopping centre and multi-storey car park,which looms over Stephenson Street casting itinto shadow for much of the day.

The Civic/Cultural Core character zone spansfrom the International ConventionCentre/Centenary Square along the east endof Broad Street/Paradise Street to VictoriaSquare and then into the Colmore Row andEnvirons Conservation Area. Two main featuresdominate this CZ, the junction of Broad Streetwith Queensway and Paradise Street and thehigh quality pedestrian plazas betweenimpressive public buildings.

The junction at the end of Broad Street is amajor physical and visual barrier betweenBroad Street and Victoria Square. Pedestrianmovement is forced underneath the junctioninto Fletchers Walk a 1960’s walkway, whichis visually unappealing and has a datedappearance.

Once out of this walkway at either end thereare a number of high quality hard landscapedopen spaces. Centenary Square has highquality paving, furniture, street trees, sculpturesand monuments surrounded by some relativelymodern buildings as well as a number ofbuildings of architectural importance, whichare listed. Heavy pedestrian movement crossesthis large open space. The plaza beneath theAlpha Tower is also of high quality and againprovides a pleasant setting for surroundingbuildings.

Victoria Square is an open space of highquality hard landscaping using stone and brickpaving to complement the town hall and otherlisted buildings that border it. These buildings,ornately constructed in stone give a civiccharacter to the space and heavy pedestrianmovements give it a vibrant character.

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Character Zone 3: Civic/Cultural Core

Character Zone 4: Broad Street

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This character zone is centred along the busyBroad Street, with the multi-award winningBrindleyplace mixed-use development adjacentwith both being dominated at pedestrian levelby the abundance of cafes, bars andrestaurants. There is no unifying architecturalstyle along Broad Street although olderbuildings, some of which are listed, tend to bein red brick and stone. These older buildings sitcomfortably beside modern developments suchas a cinema and club complex at the westernend of the road. A number of taller buildings,containing offices and hotels, tower above theenclosed street.

Buildings front directly onto the street and thereare a significant number of semi-mature streettrees in the zone. However surfacing isrelatively new and well maintained. Access tothe Birmingham Canal along the street is openallowing views along the waterfront.By night the area is a hive of activity, withheavy pedestrian movement along the widepavements and a profusion of neon lightingemitted from almost every frontage, giving thestreet a cosmopolitan atmosphere.

The street has its own distinctive characterderived largely from its abundant variety of barfrontages as apposed to any unifying builtform.

Character Zone 5: Hagley Road/Five Ways

The Hagley Road/Five Ways character zone isfocused along the linear Hagley Road andaround the Five Ways roundabout. The

character of the area is dominated by largeoffice blocks of 16-25 storeys that look overthe space below. The architectural styles ofthese buildings are individual but are consistentin the use of glass, brick and concrete in theirfacades. Many are set back from the roadwith small amounts of amenity planting andgrass around the entrances. Street trees alongthe busy Hagley Road soften the bases of thetower blocks. On the north side of the HagleyRoad there are a number of mature trees. Also,numbers 93-109 are listed buildings and areGeorgian style red brick offices, which providesignificant architectural interest.

Towards Five Ways the road widens toaccommodate an underpass beneath theroundabout. This gives a car-orientatedcharacter to the roundabout environs. It createsa physical barrier to pedestrian movementacross Hagley Road and a visual barrier to thecity centre.

A sunken pedestrian concourse beneath theFive Ways roundabout provides a pedestrianlink between Hagley Road and Broad Streetand 1960s concrete shopping centres at eitherside. The shopping centres are low rise andutilitarian in design with a sense of ageingdeterioration despite most units beingoccupied. The sunken concourse is welllandscaped with heavy pedestrian use and hasa significant amount of seating. A number ofsemi-mature trees give a leafy character to thespace although the noise of traffic is alwaysevident and the pedestrian access points areunattractive.

Ageing surfacing, bollards and street furniturethroughout the CZ are poor and a detractor atpedestrian level from the potentially impressivetower blocks. However the relative abundanceof street trees and the busy pedestrianmovement under Five Ways give the zonesomething of a metropolitan character. Whilstthere is a distinct character to the zone, someof the route is aging and the quality of thecharacter area could be improved.

Character Zone 5: Hagley Road/Five Ways

DESIGN PRINCIPLESAccessing the System

‘Tramstops and associated facilities should bereadily accessible to all people’

Stops are the ‘front door’ to the system andtherefore, should be designed to be safe,accessible and easy to use. They may alsoprovide interchange opportunity with bus, railand taxi services. Where the tramway isrunning within a highway environment, thestops should be highly integrated with theexisting street features such as pavement,pedestrian crossing locations etc.

Footpaths to Tramstops

● Walk routes to stops should be well connected to the existing wider pedestrian network. In the city centre at most stop locations this will occur by virtue of the platform area being integrated as much as possible with the existing pavements.

● Walk routes to stops should also be well signposted, safe, direct, convenient and well lit with particular attention given to surfacing materials

● Pedestrian crossing facilities and bus stops should be located as close to the stop entrance as possible, subject to the approval of the relevant Highway Authority

● Surfacing materials and lighting levels should be in accordance with the relevant Highway Authority requirements

Pedestrian ‘waymarking’ should be providedbetween main pedestrian areas and tramstops. This can take the form of ‘finger post’signs and should conform with therequirements of the relevant HighwayAuthority.

Where stops are more remote such as StChad’s, stop entrances should be clearlyvisible with landmark totem features clearlydisplaying the Midland Metro logo All lifts,stairs, ramps and access paths to stops mustbe fully accessible and compliant with theDisability Discrimination Act and HMRIrequirements.

Access paths to tram stops should be well lit.Lighting levels within the street runningsections should conform with the relevantHighway Authority requirements.

All stop access paths should be surfaced inhigh quality materials and to a minimum widthof 2.0m or to a width specified by therelevant Highway Authority. Stairways to be ofsteel or concrete construction.

Footpaths and cycleways that cross the tracksshould be safe, direct and convenient andconform to HMRI guidelines. They should besurfaced to match those on the adjacentfootpaths and have visual contrast to the tracksurface materials.

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Pedestrian Route from Mailbox to Broad Street Birminghamillustrates a good example of a well planned route/public space

Midland Metro Line 1 - Entrance to St Paul’s Metro Stop

Midland Metro Line 1 - Footways/cycle lanes crossing Metro Lines

Cycling

In the street running section wherever possible,cycling is permitted in the carriageway.

Although cycle carriage will not be permittedon the vehicles, provision should be made forcyclists to access tramstops and storagefacilities are to be made close to tramstopswhere possible. Within the city centre this maybe achieved by utilising existing BirminghamCity Council cycle storage facilities that areclose to tramstops. Due to the location of somestops it may not be appropriate to providecycle storage facilities at all stops.

In the City Centre however, general provisionis already made for cycle storage and theremay not be a requirement to provide thesefacilities at stops so as to avoid further streetclutter. Storage facilities should be located in

the sight line of any CCTV surveillance. CycleStorage facilities should be constructed ofrobust, cleanable and vandal resistantmaterials and match other street furniture.

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Midland Metro Line 1 - Cycle Lanes

Cycle Storage facilities on High Street Birmingham

Cycle Storage facilities on High Street Birmingham

10

Tramstop Layout and Arrangement

‘ The design of tram stops should be functional,modern and accessible to all users’

It is imperative that an integrated approach isapplied to the design of the Midland Metrostops. In general, the principles adopted in thedesign of Midland Metro Line 1 should beadopted. There are many elements of Line 1that can be rolled out into future extensions butvariations can be made due to new productsand materials being made available at the timeof procurement. However, the productsspecified in the city centre should besympathetic to the existing streetscape andwhere appropriate integrate with existingmaterials and street furniture to help deliver amore integrated system.

Midland Metro line 1 stops respondedpositively to the contract performancespecification and a generic style of streetfurniture was developed in collaboration withsuppliers. Although there are a number of‘landmark’ stops, for example, atWolverhampton Terminus, there is a ‘family’resemblance to all stops on the route due to ahigh quality and standardised ‘kit of parts’.This has been a trademark of the system and iscommon practice in other European Light Railsystems. There are major benefits to thisapproach, not least, reduced ongoingmaintenance costs and a strong identity for thesystem.

This model therefore, should be applied to theextensions enabling an easily identifiable andhigh quality network to be developed. Clearlyaspects of the detailed design can beimproved, in particular, simplification ofsurface materials within the stop areas. There

will also be a need for special and sensitivetreatment of certain stops for example, inConservation Areas, adjacent to ListedBuildings or areas of ecological importance.Notwithstanding this, the style of tramstopdesign adopted in Line 1 sets a usefulbenchmark and reference for detailed designof future tram stops.

The City Centre extension differs greatly fromline 1 in terms of the environment it passesthrough. The tram stops will vary in type basedon function. In general terms a stop willconsist of:-

● Platform● Shelters/Canopies● Seating - where adequate

space is available● Bins● Passenger Information and Display

Boards including Real Time Information● Ticket Machines (subject to review)● Signage● Lighting - if surrounding street lighting

is inadequate● CCTV (if required)● Help Point● Advertising (where appropriate)

Platforms

Platform lengths will have a 30m level section,with ramps at either end if required, with agradient no greater than 1:15. The platformwidth can be varied to suit predictedpassenger demand and will be subject tominimum criteria laid down by the HMRI andconstraints imposed by the physical spacewithin streets.

In street running sections there may howeverbe the opportunity to modify footway levelsand this will enable the platform to beintegrated into the street without the need forramps or steps. We will seek to do thiswherever possible.

The tram is low floor design and therefore,platform height above rail must ensure levelboarding into the tram. Platforms will beapproximately 375mm above rail/road level.

Steps and ramps up to platform level mustcomply with DDA and HMRI requirements.

Typical cross sections can be found within theDevelopers Technical Guide for MetroExtensions, 2002 Revision, Issue 1, April2002, which can be found in the appendices

Sheffield Supertram - Cathedral Square Stop

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Surface Materials Although there may be variation to surfacematerials in specific locations e.g VictoriaSquare, the following principles should beadopted for paving design in stop areas:-

● Paving should be of high quality and workmanship

● Materials should be similar to those used in the surrounding environment

● A simple and subtle palette of materials should be used that compliment existing materials

● Complicated patterns and fussiness should be avoided

● Materials should be durable and easy to maintain

● Tactile paving should compliment other material styles and should be HMRI and DDA compliant

Montepellier - ‘Segregated’ Running

Montepellier Metro Line 1 - Tactile Paving Grenoble - ‘On-Street’ Running

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Shelters

Shelters are an important feature of any lightrail scheme and are a signature for the project.Any shelter should offer weather protection,seating (where appropriate), be visuallystriking and provide a sense of security.

Each tramstop shall incorporate a shelter oneach platform, unless alternatives are requiredfor example, adjacent to listed buildings. Thesize of shelter will vary in response to locationand estimated patronage.

All new shelters will be of equivalent or greaterquality to those on Line I. The Line I shelterswere a joint collaboration between Laing plc,Percy Thomas Partnership and Woodhouse.

They feature a structural steel frame, extrudedand cast aluminium cladding and toughenedglass panels.

As with Line 1 all new shelters should integratehelp points, passenger information and display unit, stop sign, lighting and seating (dependentupon adjacent street lighting levels and spacefor seating) as a unified design. All of theseelements should be of equivalent or greaterquality than that of Line 1.

Midland Metro Line 1 - Typical Shelter

Strasbourg - Place De L’Homme

Wood Green London - Bus Interchange Shelter

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Rontonde, Strasbourg - Bus/Light Rail Interchange Strasbourg Light Rail - Place De l’Homme

Strasbourg Light Rail - Platform Midland Metro Line 1 - Platform at St Georges Stop

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Canopies/Awnings

In the city centre it may be more appropriate insome locations to provide cover at platformareas through a canopy/awning attached toexisting buildings subject to obtaining anynecessary consents. Any canopy/awningshould be sympathetic towards existingbuilding facades and street furniture, as well askeeping the identity of the stop area.

The above photo of Light Rail in Portland,Oregan, USA, highlights how the use of acanopy in a busy city centre street can help toreduce street clutter whilst still providingadequate protection for users of the system.This is particularly important in busy shoppingareas such as Corporation Street where thereare high levels of pedestrian movement.

The adjacent photos taken from variouslocations in the city centre are of typicalbuilding entrance canopies, which highlight thequality expected and could be modified tocover a stop area.

Portland, Oregan - Canopy Platform

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Seating

Stop seating should be:-

● comfortable● of a modular bench type ● with backrests,● ergonomically efficient, ● vandal resistant● easy to maintain and ● should not collect rainwater.

Seating should also be constructed of highquality and durable material and beharmonious with the design style of the otherstreet furniture and shelter. Seating will beprovided in some city centre locations.However, it will be dependent on location,estimated patronage and space available.

Litter Bins

Litter bins should incorporate the followingfeatures:-

● Easily cleanable● Vandal resistant and fire proof● Replaceable● Frame mounted

Litter bins should also be constructed of highquality and durable material and match thedesign style of the other street furniture andshelter.

Litter bins, should be located so as not causeobstruction to passengers and in particular,people with disabilities.

Passenger Information and Display BoardIncluding Real Time Information

The stop should incorporate the followingpassenger information:-

● Real Time Tram Information● Network map● Fares● Street Map● Timetable● Emergency information● Information on local bus,

rail and taxi services● Audio Announcements (when requested)

Display Panels should also be constructed ofhigh quality and durable material and withinthe shelter structure.

Type-face, size of lettering and graphics should be consistent across the system for allinformation and signage components.

Ticket Machines

The locations of ticket machines are still to beagreed. However, alternative locations to beingpart of the shelter infrastructure could include:-

● Fixed to buildings● Near to stops● Part of or near to City Centre

Information Centres● Retail Outlets

A decision as to whether ticket machines will beprovided at stop or whether other means of farecollection will be used will be made duringproject implementation.

Seating by Woodhouse

Seating by Woodhouse

A Litter Bin on Line 1

Real Time Information Unit contained

Midland Metro Line 1 - Ticket Machine

Line 1 - Ticket Machine Incorporated into Shelter Infrastructure

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Signage

Signage is a necessary part of any light railsystem and is needed for safety, direction andinformation purposes. Most importantly it helpsusers find and negotiate stops. Used properlyand designed correctly signage can add greatvalue to the function of any light rail system.Therefore, careful thought should be given tothe use, application, location and design ofsignage.

Pedestrian ‘waymarking’ should be providedbetween main pedestrian routes and tram stops.This can take the form of ‘finger post’ signs andon the highway should conform with therequirements of the relevant Highway Authority.

Entrances to off-street stops should be clearlyvisible with landmark totem signage clearlydisplaying the Midland Metro logo. This willonly be required for example, at St Chads stop,Snow Hill stop, Five Ways Stop and HagleyRoad stop

The stop nameplate should be integrated withinthe overall design and should be clearly visibleto passengers from the metro vehicle.

Lighting

Lighting provision will be dependent onlocation due to external lighting sources on thehighway or from buildings. Lighting is a keypart of attracting users onto a system at night-time for leisure and employment trips. Asmuch of Line 1 was a former railway alignmentmany stops are located in cuttings or onembankments. Significant attention was givento lighting levels on the access paths, ramps,

stop entrances and platform areas. A differentapproach will be required in the street runningsections and in particular, Birmingham CityCentre, due to the presence of existing streetlighting and the need to avoid unnecessarylight pollution.

Lighting will be required however, in thefollowing locations:-

● Stop entrances● Ramps and staircases● Lifts

● Platforms● Shelters

In general lighting should be:-

● of similar architectural style, colour and materials of other Midland Metro street furniture;

● vandal resistant● well positioned to avoid unnecessary

light pollution● easily cleanable● maintainable without disruption to tram

services e.g demountable lamp posts● adaptable

Lighting at and on the approaches to stopsshould be of a suitable quality or superior toLine 1. Line 1 light columns tilt and are counterbalanced to meet HMRI requirements. Theywere jointly designed by Percy ThomasPartnership and Woodhouse. The lanterns arefrom the Woodhouse “Eclatec” range.

In the street running section lighting wherepossible, should be combined as part of theOHLE poles or fixed to buildings. This willrequire the approval of the Highway Authorityand building owners. For stops in the streetrunning sections lighting, should in normalcircumstances, only be required within theshelter canopy, where existing lighting levelsare inadequate.

Finger Post by Woodhouse at Southbank

Stainless Steel ‘D’ Hoop Information Point on Line 1Midland Metro Line 1 - Bilston at Night

Lighting by Woodhouse on High Street Birmingham

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CCTV

CCTV and associated security equipment is vital to addressing crime and the fear of crimeon light rail systems. CCTV coverage isrequired at:-

● Access paths, ramps and stop entrances

● Lifts and staircases● Crossing points ● Platform areas● Cycle storage

In design terms all CCTV equipment should beintegrated as part of the overall infrastructure soas to avoid visual clutter. Equipment should bewell designed and materials used should bepart of the palette established for the system. Itis unlikely that CCTV facilities will be requiredat stops within the main shopping area as thereis already a comprehensive CCTV system inplace. However, additional CCTV facilities maybe required at St Chads, Snow Hill, Five Waysand Hagley Road.

Help Points

Help Points linked to the Central Control Centreare needed for emergency purposes and toprovide passenger information. They should beprovided at each shelter and integrated into theoverall design.

Advertising

Advertising is a key component of any majortransport system and it is important that abalance is struck on its application to minimizevisual clutter. Using Metro Line 1 as an

example, advertising would normally bepermitted inside the vehicle, within stop areasand in some instances, on the outside livery ofvehicles. The following images demonstrateappropriate applications and location for

advertising. Where possible advertising shouldbe integrated into shelter infrastructure. Stand-alone advertising will only be encouraged inareas where more space is available such asFive Ways and St Chad’s.

Midland Metro Line 1 - Combined streetlighting and CCTV

Help point at Walsall Bus Station

Integrated advertising panels at Wood GreenBus Interchange

The Walthamstow Trees could provide an additional lighting source as well as provide semi-permanent advertising/sponsorship for locations such as Broad Street

Advertisement Panels on Line 1

Walthamstow Trees - Daytime Walthamstow Trees - Nightime

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Surface Treatments And TrackArrangements

‘Surface treatments within and adjacent to thetramtracks should be safe, durable, easy tomaintain, replaceable and visually consistent orcomplimentary with existing materials’

The guide has already dealt with surfacematerials in stop areas and the principlesremain the same for the sections betweenstops. These principles are:-

● Surfacing should be of high quality and workmanship

● Materials should be complimentary to those used in the surrounding environment

● A simple and subtle palette of materials should be used, that contrast and not clash

● Materials should be durable and easy to maintain

● Tactile paving should compliment other material styles and should be HMRI and DDA compliant

In terms of the City Centre Extension, streetssuch as Corporation Street, Bull Street,Stephenson Street and Pinfold Street requirecomprehensive ‘wall to wall’ surface treatment.

Surface materials up to the swept path shouldmatch existing or materials to be agreed by thelocal planning authority. The swept pathshould be delineated by acontrasting/complimentary colour and tactilematerial. This could be a poured material suchas exposed aggregate concrete to provide aconsistent surface finish and enable ease oftrack bed maintenance. Stone or concrete flagscould also be used but sand bedded pavingblocks should be avoided to prevent vibrationby tram movements.

In the highway, along Broad Street and HagleyRoad for example, the swept path will requiredelineation by markings, but the surfacematerial will match the normal highwaysurfacing.

From St Paul’s stop to the new viaduct structure,the track bed surface material will be ballastconsistent with the adjacent railway lines.

Overhead Line Equipment (OHLE)

Overhead Line Equipment is an essential partof any Light Rail Scheme and should bedesigned to minimise visual impact. The best

way of doing this is attaching span wires tobuildings, instead of erecting poles. Buildingfixings should be used where possible and asimple stainless steel eye-bolt will have minimalvisual impact on any building.

The above photo illustrates the Grade 2 listed Victoria Square House, which is located adjacent to Pinfold Street and Hill Street. The assessment of listed buildings and Conservation Areas has been taken into account in the environmentimpact assessment of the scheme, which includes impacts on the overall character of the historic environment and alsoindividual historic buildings. This is of particular relevance where building fixings will be used to secure over-head lineequipment for the tram.

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Building fixings require the agreement of thebuilding owner and where agreement cannotbe reached or no suitable building areavailable, poles are used as an alternative. Iffixings are applied to Listed Building then ListedBuilding consent is required. Conditionalconsents for the fixing of overhead equipmentto listed buildings have been sought as part ofthe TWA Order.

In many instances however, the use of poles isunavoidable and great effort should be madeto reduce their visual impact. Appropriatecolours and slenderness of the pole will assistin reducing their visual impact. The design ofPoles should be sympathetic to the urbancontext and be consistent with both existingand proposed street furniture.

In addition, poles provide an opportunity torationalise other street furniture and clutter.Mounting lighting, signage and traffic signalsonto poles, subject to HMRI approval, willachieve a neat visual solution. Fixing masts tothe ground should also be considered to ensurethat all bolts and plates are safe and coveredwith materials that are complimentary tosurfacing material.

The base of OHLE masts require careful designto avoid tripping hazards and to integratethem into the paving scheme.

Midland Metro Line 1 - Highlighting OHLE mast base set into paving

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OHLE, Lighting and Furniture Options

Combined Highway Light(10m) and OHLE Pole

Example:Running down Broad Streetand between Town Hall and Centenary Square.

Double Highway Lightwith Banner

Example:Used in conjunction withcombined OHLE/10m Light columns at intersection to meet illumination levels.

Single Highway Lightwith Banners

Example:Used in conjunction withcombined OHLE/10m Light columns at intersection to meet illumination levels.

Platform Light (5m) and Bollard

These two elements indicate how allBirmingham City Centre street furnituredesign could be consistant, morecontemporary, and allow Metro platformfurniture to blend with city centre furniture.

Cantilever OHLE Columnwith Lighting

The Column can be designed tocantilever over two DKEsand/or incorporated lighting.

Central Tram Station (4.5 - 6.0m)

Example:OHLE structures with no integral streetlighting could have a distinctivelight wand as part of the design. Banners can also be incorporated.

OHLE withShelter at SidePlatform

Various forms ofbanner can beconsidered. Lightwands can be usedat stations foremphasis.

Platform Shelter

Elevation

Plan

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Trackside Equipment

‘All trackside equipment should have minimalvisual impact, not cause obstruction and respondpositively to the architectural style and colourpalette of the system’

Trackside equipment includes tracksidecabinets, switch boxes and other electricalequipment. In general these are large andvisually unimpressive pieces of equipment.

Trackside cabinets and other electricalequipment should be located so not to causeobstruction to pedestrians and if locatedadjacent to the tracks should match colourpalette and materials.

Sub-Stations

There will only be one sub-station as part of thecity centre route, which is to be located at FiveWays. Line 1 includes examples of where sub-stations in particular have been designed torespond positively to the overall architecturalaesthetic. This approach should be adopted forthis extension.

Bridges and Viaducts

New structures are required at Suffolk StreetQueensway Great Charles Street Queensway,Paradise Circus and a viaduct linking theexisting Line 1 at Snow Hill to the streetrunning section at Colmore Circus. The designof this 220m long viaduct is dictated byagreements with both Birmingham City Counciland Railtrack Developments Limited. It will runin a narrow corridor between the existingSnow Hill Station and planned new buildingseast of the station, and will have a serviceroad beneath it providing access to theadjacent buildings. A pedestrian route at decklevel parallel to the tracks may also beprovided for part of the length of the viaduct.

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Landscape Works

This section deals with management andprotection of existing landscape features andassets and also guidelines for new landscapeworks at tramstops and trackside. Landscapemanagement and new landscape works arefundamental to reducing the visual impact ofmajor transport undertakings.

On the whole the City Centre extension has tointegrate with hard landscape treatments and street trees.

All landscape works will be subject to theconditions imposed as part of the planningconsent given by the Secretary of State inresponse to mitigation measures set out in theEnvironmental Statements. The local planningauthority will approve the details of allmaterials and finishes.

Trees in Paving

Individual trees within hard-surfaced areas shallincorporate a tree grille of at least 0.75 metressquare. This may be either ready made(concrete or cast iron as appropriate), orpurpose-designed (setts, blocks or bricks). Treegrilles shall be contained by a brick, sett, blockor concrete edging. All trees within this type ofplanting shall be supported by colour stained,turned posts or an underground anchoragesystem to BS4043:1966 or equivalent.

Victoria Square Birmingham - Mature trees in paving protected by grills

Corporation Street Birmingham - Semi-mature to mature trees

Mailbox Birmingham - Semi-mature trees protected bygrilles and incorporated uplighters

Mailbox Birmingham - Semi-mature trees

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Public Art

In accordance with the West MidlandsPassenger Transport Authority’s commitment forincorporating public art into majorinfrastructure projects, opportunities shall besought for the commissioning and integrationof works of public art. Public Art will be used

along this route in locations where it can eitherbe used to enhance functionalinfrastructure/street furniture, or where space isavailable be implemented as stand aloneworks of art to help bring a ‘Sense of Place’ to an area. In addition any artwork introduced will need to be sympathetic to it’s urban context.

Midland Metro Line 1 - Sleipnir Sculpture overlooking the Wednesbury depot

Midland Metro Line 1 - Etched Glass in Shelter Stourbridge Bus/Rail Interchange - Statue

West Bromwich Bus Station - Totem/Clock

Lea Hall Rail Station - Mosaic

West Bromwich Bus Station - Entrance Feature

Midland Metro Line 1 - Decorative Brick Sheffield LRT - Lighting

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SITE SPECIFIC DESIGN GUIDELINES

Site-specific design guidelines are illustrated inthis section, for the following sections of route:

● Great Charles Street Queensway Viaduct to Upper Bull Street;

● Upper Bull Street to Stephenson Place via Corporation Street;

● Stephenson Place to Paradise Street via Stephenson Street, Pinfold Street and Victoria Square;

● Paradise Street to Broad Street via Paradise Circus; and

● Broad Street to Hagley Road, via Five Ways

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Great Charles Street QueenswayViaduct to Upper Bull Street

The proposed alignment will tie in to theexisting track southeast of the existing St Paul’s tram stop and north-west of Snow HillRailway Station. At this point the scheme willutilise the existing rail corridor. A new stopcalled St Chad’s stop will be constructed on theexisting railway viaduct at Livery Street/LionelStreet. This stop will enable interchange withheavy rail services at Snow Hill Railway

Station providing the scheme for the secondaryaccess is implemented and will provide linkswith the proposed new National Express coachstation on land off Lionel Street.

Immediately north of Snow Hill Station, theroute leaves the existing rail corridor andcontinues to the east of the station on an newviaduct located on land currently used for carparking. The alignment then continues onstreet on Colmore Circus Queensway.

St Chads Stop (Existing)

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Tramstops

St Chad’s

Plan of St Chad’s Metro Stop

Proposed New Rail Station at Imperial Wharf in Fulham - This image illustrates a silimar scenario to that of the Snow Hill Secondary Access and St Chads Metro Stop (For illustration only)

● This stop will provide interchange with existing heavy rail services (if the secondary access is implemented) at Snow Hill station and coach services at the proposed new coach station on Lionel Street

● The stop will be a side platform arrangement and will be adjacent to the operational railway

● The stop will be accessed via a lift and staircase to the outside of the existing viaduct

● The stop is located on the existing railway viaduct and bridge over the Queensway

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Snow Hill (Provisional)

Artist Impression of Snow Hill Development

Plan of Snow Hill Development highlighting Snow Hill Stop (For illustration only)

● This is a provisional tram stop and will be constructed if funding is made available by the developer of land adjacent to Snow Hill Station

● The stop should provide strong pedestrian links with the development and Snow Hill Queensway

● Surface materials will compliment those prposed as part of any landsacpe works for the new development

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Axonometric of Snow Hill Development (For illustration only)

Artist Impression of Colmore Square Development near Upper Bull Street Stop (For illustration only)

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Surface Treatments

The surface treatments along the alignment inthe non-street running sections will be to thesame specification as line 1 with ballast trackas illustrated in photo 1.

The surface treatments along Colmore Circus,should be in keeping with the existing paving,which is illustrated in photo 2, which wasimplemented as part of the highway schemerelating to the Colmore Square development.

OHLE Design

Along the alignment in the non-street runningsection the OHLE requirements should conformto the same standards as is on line 1 as shownin photo 3 with poles supporting the wires. Inthe street running section through ColmoreCircus, where building fixings cannot be used,poles will be used to support the OHLE.

Bridge/Viaduct Design

A new bridge/viaduct structure will be requiredadjacent to the existing heavy rail viaduct. Anexample of a similar structure can be seen inphoto 4, which illustrates what wasimplemented as part of the works for theNottingham LRT. Views of the proposed viaductstructure will however be obscured by theproposed development on the adjacent land.

Shelters

At the St Chads and Snow Hill stops anupdated version of the Midland Metro Line 1standard shelter design would be appropriate.

A new design of shelter will be developed,which builds on the success of the line 1shelter, but offering a slimmer and moreelegant roofline.

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2

3

4

Midland Metro Line 1 - Typical Shelter Design by Woodhouse

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Upper Bull Street Junction toStephenson Place via Corporation Street

The route continues ‘on-street’ along Bull Street,with a stop to be located on Bull Streetadjacent to the Minories shopping arcade and

Temple Court, before turning southwest ontoCorporation Street. Where stops will belocated between Cherry Street and VictoriaHouse. From Corporation Street the proposed alignment crosses New Street onto Stephenson Place.

Photo Montage of Midland Metro in Upper Bull Street Upper Bull Street (Existing)

Corporation Street (Existing) Photo Montage of Midland Metro on Corporation St inBIrmingham City Centre

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Tramstops

Upper Bull St

Plan of Upper Bull Street Metro Stop

Section through the Upper Bull Street Metro StopMontage of Midland Metro in Upper Bull Street Upper Bull Street (Existing)

● Island platform arrangement with opportunity to create new public space

● Wall to wall surface materials● Loading bay for servicing frontages

without rear service access● Opportunity to fix OHLE to buildings

● Requirement to replace semi-mature trees where possible

● Retain strong pedestrian link between ‘The Minories’ and St Phillips Cathedral Square

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Corporation Street

Plan of Corporation Street Metro Stop

Section through the Corporation Street Metro Stop

Montage of Midland Metro Corporation St in Birmingham City Centre

Corporation Street (Existing)

● Side platform arrangement staggered to accommodate service access and deliveries

● Wall to wall surface materials will be applied giving greater priority to the pedestrian

● Minimal clutter required at stop to avoid conflicts with stop entrances

● New relocated trees to replace loss of existing trees

● The majority of kerbing to be removed to create generally level surfaces

● Opportunity to introduce cantilevered canopies in at stop areas on Corporation Street (as illustrated in Portland, Oregan photo within section on canopies) - subject to obtaining necessary consents

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Detailed Design

Surface Treatments

Photo’s 1 and 2 illustrate high quality tegularpaving and concrete sets as is located in HighStreet, Birmingham. Both paving types could beused along the areas along this section of theroute and are the minimum specificationexpected in this area of Birmingham.Photo’s 3 and 5 illustrate how a combination ofsurface treatments can work well together increating public spaces in urban areas thisapproach may be suitable for Upper Bull Street.

In particular the application of surface materialsat the Bull Street and Corporation Street stopsneed to meet HMRI requirements but also becomplimentary to existing surface materials.

Street Furniture

Photo 4 shows High St, Birmingham, which hasrecently had new high quality ‘wall to wall’surface treatments and infrastructure introduced.It illustrates how low level lightingsignage/advertising and cycle stands can co-exist without creating clutter. In addition a ‘wellplanned’ paving scheme can help to createpedestrians desire lines.

Photo’s 5 and 6 show street furniture, trees,lighting and paving along the route fromMailbox to Broad Street. They illustrate howwall to wall planning of routes combined withhigh quality paving materials, a family ofcoordinated street furniture and the relief of treeplanting can create improved links between themetro route and key destinations. In addition tocreating public spaces along these routes.

Photo’s 7 and 8 show another form of pavingand street furniture treatments near to Mailboxin Birmingham and how a well planned layoutof highway space combined with street furnitureand landscaping, which compliments eachother can create not only a place with lessclutter, but an urban space of visual interest.

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8

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OHLE Design

Where possible the visual clutter of the OHLEwill be minimised through building fixings.Photo 9 illustrates how this has beenimplemented successfully for Croydon Tramlink.

Where building fixing are not possible poleswill be used to support the OHLE system.Photo’s 10 and 11 show examples of suitablepoles. The design of poles should besympathetic to the urban context and beconsistent with both existing and proposedstreet furniture.

Listed Buildings

There are a number of Grade II listed buildingsin this section of the route. This section of theroute is likely to have two main effects on listedbuildings. The first is the arrangement ofattached building fixings and Listed BuildingConsent has been sought for as part of the TWOrder. Photo 12 shows an example of howbuilding fixings can be attached sensitively toan historic building in Corporation St/CherrySt.

In addition to this, there is likely to be a need tocarry out works to the ground floor corner ofthe Waterstones building in order to provide apedestrian walkway. Also, works to the walloutside Waterstones (Photo 13) to overcome achange in level to the highway may be required(All works to the listed Waterstones building willbe subject to obtaining listed building consent).

Servicing and Access

There are a number of servicing and deliverypoints on this section of the route. Service baysare required for example, in Bull Street,Corporation Street and Stephenson Street.

It is important to consider these elements whenplanning the detailed design of the street as awhole urban space.

Shelters

Photo’s 14 of Wood Green Bus Interchange andphoto 15 of Place de L’Homme, Strasbourg,illustrate how infrastructure for public transportcan help to create an improved public spaceand focal point for transport interchange. Thismethod and quality of infrastructure could bedeveloped at the Bull Street metro stop to createan improved urban space and focal point forpublic transport users.

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Alterations to Waterstones Building

Justification for the Proposed Alterations

128 New Street is Grade 2 Listed Building andtherefore, any works or alterations proposedrequire Listed Building consent. These worksare required to be undertaken to provide anacceptable footway width between the cornerof 128 New Street and the swept path of theMidland Metro alignment.

Due to the geometry of the highway there isvirtually no flexibility to move the metro track as:

● The track is as far away from the Waterstones building corner as possible

● The pavement width from the swept path to the building face is approximately 1.7m

● The pavement is narrower than the Birmingham City Council standard requirement for the city centre

● A minimum pedestrian width of 2.0m is required

● The proposed alterations will provide a minimum footway width of approximately 2.15m

● No structural works are proposed above ground floor level

Design Principles for Proposed Alteration

Any alterations proposed to modify the existingground floor arrangement of the building willadopt the following principles:-

● Seek to preserve and enhance the character and setting of the building

● Limit the amount of land to be acquired and thus limit works to be undertaken or required

● Provide a minimum footway width of 2metres from the building façade to the swept path of the Metro alignment

● Restrict works to the ground floor facade

● Retain the maximum amount of retail display area

● Use high quality and appropriate materials in any new works subject to the approval of the local planning authority

● Avoid any works that effect the structural stability of the building

● Carry out complimentary hard landscape works adjacent to the building in the tramway

Proposed Alterations

● The shop front is non-load bearing● The extent to which the footway can

be widened at the corner of the building is limited by the cast iron columns that support the upper storeys

● The design proposals have focussed on establishing the maximum footway width that can be achieved if the shop front line is pushed back as far as possible towards these columns

● The principal elements that would require removal to achieve the required line is the timber pilaster on the Stephenson Street elevation and the timber pilaster facing onto Stephenson Place

● The two timber pilasters do not add anything architecturally to the shop front design and we are proposing their removal as this would enable the required pavement width to be achieved

● The glazed shop frontage could then be articulated visually by repeating the barley twist glazing mullions and fretted brackets to produce a simple and architecturally honest solution to the shop frontage with the load bearing cast iron columns visible through the display glazing

● The repositioned shop front glazing would allow a smooth transition in pavement width from the 2.2 metre width in Stephenson Street to the greater width in Stephenson Place to be achieved

● The original stone pilaster on the Stephenson Street elevation would be retained, which provides a ‘bookend’to the shop front

● Minor modifications to the fascia to align with the glazing below would be required

● This arrangement would be architecturally consistent with the rest of the shop front treatment where pilasters are primarily used to frame doorways

Most importantly the proposals achieve therequired objectives of increasing the width ofthe pavement at the corner of the building inthe most cost effective and sympathetic manner.

Corner of Stephenson Street and StephensonPlace (Existing)

Proposed revised ground floor elevation on StephensonStreet with alterations

Proposed revised ground floor elevation on StephensonPlace with alterations

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Photomontage showing the proposed revised shop front and modified pavement at junction of Stephenson Street and Stephenson Place

Photomontage showing the proposed revised shop front and modified pavement at junction of Stephenson Street and Stephenson Place

Proposed Layout

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Stephenson Place to ParadiseStreet via Stephenson Street, Pinfold Street and Victoria Square

From Stephenson Place the proposed alignmentturns west onto Stephenson Street. A stop islocated on Stephenson Street, which providesinterchange with New Street Station. From

Stephenson Street the route follows PinfoldStreet to Victoria Square. Works to thelandscaping within the square, including worksto walls steps and also the re-location of ‘TheIron Man’ will be required to accommodate thetram alignment. From Victoria Square the routeturns west onto Paradise Street with a tram stoplocated within the vicinity of the Town Hall.

Montage of Midland Metro on Pinfold Street

Victoria Square (Existing) Montage of Midland Metro on Stephenson Street

Pinfold Street (Existing)

Stephenson Street (Existing)

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Tramstop

Stephenson Street

Plan of Stephenson Street Metro Stop

Section through Stephenson Place

Montage of Midland Metro in Upper Stephenson Street Stephenson Street (Existing)

● Side platform arrangement with opportunity to create new public space

● The existing walkaway structure of the Pallasades Shopping centre will be used as cover for the stop area and minor cosmetic changes may be required to help create a ‘Sense of Place’for users of this stop. This stop area should also respond positively to the adjacent listed building.

● Possible canopy to be cantilevered from the faceade of the former Midland Hotel - Subject to obtaining necessary consents

● Consider future proposal for Network Rail new station entrance

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Town Hall

3D Cad Image of Midland Metro at the Town Hall Stop Plan of the Town Hall Metro Stop

Town Hall (Existing)

● This is undoubtedly the most sensitive location for integrating Midland Metro into the City Centre. In this location Midland Metro passes through the award winning Victoria Square and a stop is proposed outside the Town Hall, which is a Grade 1 Listed Building

● A 3D Cad model has been produced for this section of the route and the following images show how Midland Metro can be sensitively integrated into the public space with minimal impact on existing landscape works and pedestrian routes

● In order to accommodate the alignment the ‘Iron Man’ sculpture requires re-location closer to the Town Hall and a number of existing trees are lost

● The proposed scheme also alters levels in the square and some pedestrian segregation has to be undertaken to maximise the circulation space between the tramway and the existing landscape planters/Diana wall

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Victoria Square ● It is intended that complimentary surface materials will be used to integrate the tracks into the square

● New walls, railings, light columns and other features will be designed to compliment the architectural theme already established for the square

● New trees will be plantedto replace those lost adjacent to the tracks

● The stop platforms have been designed to be parallel with the facade of the Town Hall and create a plinth that the building has always needed to improve its setting

● Stop furniture will be kept to an absolute minimum in oredr to enhance the setting of the Town Hall

● The detailed design of the stop will be undertaken in conjunction with English Heritage and BCC

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Victoria Square

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Trees

New tree planting of a suitable species will berequired in Victoria Square. Photo’s 11-12show the existing trees, which set the standardfor any replacements.

OHLE Design

Where possible the visual clutter of the OHLEwill be minimised through building fixings.Photo 13 illustrates how this has beenimplemented successfully for Croydon Tramlink.Photo 14 illustrates a typical building fixing.

Building fixings to support the OHLE will beattached to the Grade II listed Victoria SquareHouse for which Listed Building Consent hasbeen sought as part of the TW Order.

Where building fixing are not possible inVictoria Square, poles will be used to supportthe OHLE system.

Photo 15 shows a view looking up PinfoldStreet. As the street is fairly narrow, thisprovides the opportunity to a erect the OHLEvia building fixings.

Detailed Design Works at Victoria Square

Surface Treatments

New materials introduced as part of MidlandMetro need to be complimentary to existinghigh quality materials.

The Iron Man shown in photo 2 will requirerelocation adjacent to the Town Hall away from the proposed alignment.

Street Furniture

Any new street furniture such as light columns,seats, bins and bollards will need to beharmonious with existing furniture as shown inphoto’s 6-10.

1 2 11

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13 14

15

3 4

5 6

9 107 8

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Listed Buildings

Photo 16 shows the current setting of the TownHall, which is a Grade 1 listed building. Thereare also a number of Grade II listed buildingsin this section of the route. This section of theroute is likely to have two main effects on listedbuildings. The first is the arrangement ofattached building fixings and Listed BuildingConsent has been sought for as part of the TWOrder.

In addition to this, there may be a need tocarry out works to the thresholds of theproperties along Pinfold Street due to changesin levels and in particular the corner building,which is currently occupied by ‘Supercuts’ andis illustrated in photo 17. Other measuresinclude the use of deterrent paving, the closureof one door to Victoria Square House and theneed for the stop located in front of the TownHall to enhance its setting. Also, Listed BuildingConsent will need to be sought for works to theGrade II Listed Victoria Square House tocombat a possible change in levels to thehighway.

Canopies

Stephenson Street will require a suitable canopyto be cantilevered from the former MidlandHotel, due to the width of thehighway/pedestrian footway and the need toreduce street clutter. This will be subject toobtaining the necessary consents.

Photo’s 18 to 25 show various canopies aroundBirmingham City Centre, which illustrate thequality expected from the canopy to beimplemented in Stephenson Street.

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17

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LRT Portland, Oregan - Highlighting a stop arrangement with a canopy cover rather than a shelter

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Paradise Street to Broad Street via Paradise Circus

From Paradise Street the alignment crossesSuffolk Street Queensway via a new bridge.This will require the realignment of slip roadsserving Suffolk Street Queensway and theconstruction of new retaining walls and

parapets. The new bridge will also provide afootpath across Queensway to Alpha Towerwith direct access to the proposed ArenaCentral development, although cyclists will berequired to dismount in order to cross thebridge. On the western side of Queensway,the alignment turns north and then west ontoBroad Street.

Plan of St Chad’s Metro Stop

Plan of St Chad’s Metro Stop

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Tramstops

Centenary Square

Plan of Centenary Square Metro Stop

Section through Centenary Square Metro StopMontage of Midland Metro near Centenary Square Centenary Square Stop (Existing)

● This is an island platform arrangement with the stop serving the symphony Hall, ICC and Repertory Theatre

● The stop also provides direct interchange with the proposed Arena Central development and consideration needs to be made to the pedestrian routes and access

● The stop has a direct interchange with the proposed Arena Central development and consideration needs to be made to the pedestrian routes and access

● The stop requires the relocation of the ‘Three Engineer Sculpture’ currently outside the registry office

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Brindleyplace

Plan of the Brindleyplace Metro Stop

Section through the Brindleyplace Metro StopView looking up Broad Street from Brindleyplace (Existing)

● This stop serves the main Broad Street ‘Entertainment Quarter’ and in particular the mixed-use development at Brindleypalce

● Side platform arrangement for the stop and any infrastructure needs to avoid clutter on very busy footways

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Detailed Design

Surface Treatments

The paving materials along this section of theroute should match the existing surfacetreatments.

OHLE Design

A centre/side OHLE pole arrangement, withcombined lighting where possible is essentialalong this section of the route.

Waymarking/Signage/Lighting

Photo 1 illustrates stainless steel ‘Finger Post’waymarking used at South Bank in London, byWoodhouse.

This highlights the quality of infrastructureexpected along this area of the route. Also, itshould compliment other street furniture beingimplemented, thus forming part of a family ofinfrastructure.

Photo 2 illustrates combined lighting andsignage at Kensington High Street, London, byWoodhouse.

Photo 3 illustrates lighting from WoodhousesGeo lighting range.This range of lighting was used for MidlandMetro Line 1 and is ideal for highway lighting,where Metro runs on-street.

Photo 4 illustrates lighting from WoodhousesParklight asymmetric lighting range.

This range of lighting was used in High StBirmingham and is ideal low level lighting inareas with high levels of pedestrian activity.

Advertising/Lighting

Photo 5 illustrates Walthamstow Trees at night.These would provide an opportunity toincorporate sponsorship advertising fromproprietors along Broad Street as well asproviding a secondary low level source of light.In addition they combine well as is illustrated inthis photo, with the Woohouse Parklight rangeof lighting.

Advertising at stops should be provided withoutintroducing additional street furniture to clutterthe stop areas in what will be a busy section ofthe route.

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3

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Broad Street to Hagley Road, via Five Ways

The alignment continues on Broad Street withinthe existing highway, with stops at CentenarySquare, Brindleyplace, Five Ways andEdgbaston. Bus interchange is also provided

at the junction with Granville Street. The routeruns through the Five Ways underpass andcrosses Hagley Road, where it runs to the southof the highway from Edgbaston ShoppingCentre to Hagley Road where the Extensionscheme terminates.

View towards Five Ways (Existing)

View towards Five Ways (Existing)

View towards Five Ways from the Hagley Road (Existing)

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Tramstops

Five Ways

Plan of Five Ways Metro Stop Existing

● Side Platform arrangement● Need to improve pedestrian environment

and access to Five Ways Island● Lighting and CCTV are important

aspects of the stop● Serves major ‘Office Quarter’ and

interchanges with heavy rail services at Five Ways Station

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Edgbaston Terminus

Plan of Edgbaston Terminus Metro Stop (Provisional) Existing

● Terminus stop with island platform arrangement

● Need to provide high quality landscape setting

● Tree loss needed to be considered in re-designed of space

● Create a destination not just a stop● Birmingham City Council are proposing

a Bus Showcase Project that may affect the layout of the stop illustrated on the drawing opposite. This envolves the creation of a bus lane outbound along Hagley Road

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Detailed Design

Surface Treatments

Highway surfacing apart from in EdgbastonTerminus.High quality landscaping and surface materialsare to be used.

Sub-Station Design

Sub-station to be integrated as part of actualbuilding.Need to mitigate any loss of landscapefeatures.

OHLE Design

Combined OHLE and lighting columns shouldbe considered for this section following theprinciples adopted in line 1 in the streetrunning section.

Servicing/Access

There are a number of properties fronting theHagley Road and alternative arrangementshave been included in the scheme forproviding access arrangements.

Trees

At the Edgbaston Terminus a number of themature trees will be lost. However as set out inthe ES a scheme of mitigation will be requiredand a detailed landscaping scheme will needto be agreed with the City Council andCalthorpe Estates.

Island Platform

● The tram route is segregated and road vehicles may not travel along it. Where a shared route is required different dimensions apply.

● These clearances are ABSOLUTE MINIMUM CLEARANCES and, where circumstances permit, greater clearances should be considered.

● Island Platform width can be as little as 300mm but 4500mm is desirable. It will also depend upon the number of people using the platform.

● The minimum width between the tramway edge of the platform and any structure on the platform, except for roofs of shelters should not be less than 1500mm.

● The track must be straight through the platform.

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APPENDICES Construction Phase

As part of the development of any projectcareful planning through the construction phaseis essential. The following elements will beaddressed for the construction phase of thisproject:

● Site Access - Management of construction traffic & vehicle access to construction sites

● Maintenance of Existing Trafficked Routes- Provision and maintenance of escape routes as affected by construction- Provision and maintenance of fire engine and fire fighting access- Traffic management of public transport and private vehicles during highways construction works- Provision and maintenance of servicing access during construction

● Temporary Signage - Requirements for maintenance and provision of new signage during construction

● Site Boundaries (hoardings, Site Screening) - Provision of hoardings, boundary fences etc

● Storage of Plant and Materials

Further details can be obtained from theEnvironmental Statement, ‘Construction Code ofPractice’ and other relevant ‘Technical Notes’

The images show typical construction works inNottingham City Centre for the Nottingham LRT scheme.

Nottingham LRT under construction

Nottingham LRT under construction Nottingham LRT under construction Nottingham LRT under construction

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Noise and Vibration

Significant short term noise and vibrationimpacts will require noise and vibrationmanagement practices which shall includemobile barriers and quiet plant which shall becontrolled through the Construction Code ofPractice. Specific noise sensitive buildings andlocations are identified in the ES

Stray Current and Electro-Magnetic Fields(EMF)

EMF occurs ubiquitously and can interfere withelectrical equipment and affect humanpopulation, however, there is no known healthrisk associated with EMF or stray currents.Relocating of affected apparatus can resolveand interference associated with EMF and stray current.

Environmental Issues

The scheme will have a significant, positiveeffect on the Birmingham City Centre and itssurrounding environs giving rise toconsiderable socio-economic benefits andsupporting planning developments byimproving access. The scheme will offeropportunities to enhance areas along the routewith high quality design to become aprominent and positive new feature on theurban environment. Noise impacts andgeneral disruption are likely to most significantduring construction.

The Environmental Statement sets out a detailedaccount of the environmental impactsassociated with the scheme and the committedmitigation measures to improve noise,landscaping, ecology, water, socio-economic,air quality, cultural, hazardous andcontaminated waste and land and transport effects.

Permanent Screening

Services

Diversions - See City Centre trafficmanagement report

System Wide Requirements

Design Life

Material/Component Design Life (in years)

New Structures and Structural Elements 120

Buildings 50

Stops and Stop Buildings 30

Stop Furniture 10

Fencing 20

Ballasted Track: Segregated

Track Rails 20

Concrete Sleepers 50

Wooden Sleepers 20

Non Ballasted Track: Shared

Track Base 50

Track Rails 20

Overhead Electrification Supports 50

E & M Plant & Equipment 20

Light Rail Vehicles 30

Pre-Cast Concrete Box Culverts 120

Drainage Works 50

Earthworks 120

Paved Areas (Inc Highways) 30

Signs 10

Material/Component Design Life (in years)

Roof Coverings 50

External Walls 50

Internal/Walls and Partitions 50

Protective Coatings to Engineering Structures:

New Structures 12

Existing Structures 8

Internal & External Finishes to Building Works:

Paintwork (On Wood) 5

Paintwork (On Metal Etc) 10

Plastics and Plastic Coatings 30

GRP 30

Enamel Coatings 50

Glazing Systems 50

Galvanising/Zinc Coatings 25

Metal Plating 25

Signalling Systems (Inc Cabling) 25

Control Systems (Inc Cabling) 25

Communications Systems (Inc Cabling) 25

Electronic Equipment (Inc Cabling) 25

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Tree at Planting

Trunk is clear to 4m fromground level Canopydiameter max 3.5m

Notes:

1. 1.5m radius from OHLE cable to any tree branch2. As tree grows and branches spread out and up,

branches that move inside the 1.5m radius are removed3. Lower branches are eventually removed to lift the tree

crown above the OHLE equipment4. Regular management of on-street trees should remove

damaged or dead branches and trees that may be in danger of dropping limbs or affecting high vehicles

5. Species proposed - Platanus acerifolia (Plane) grownwithin large customised root containment pits

6. Maintenance regime to be integrated with operational requirements

5-10 Years

Canopy is managed to growupwards, not outwards and anystay outside 1.5m OHLE radius

25 Years

Once canopy above OHLE is full and spreadingoutwards, the tree crowncan be lifted by removinglower branches

10-15 Years

Tree managed to continuegrowing upwards, and outwardsonly once above OHLE equipment

Tree Crown Management Near Tram DKE’s

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DEVELOPERS TECHNICAL GUIDEFOR METRO EXTENSIONS 2002 REVISION

Contents

Design Parameters 66

Horizontal Track Geometry 66

Vertical Track Geometry 66

Stops 66

Stops to be on the straight 66

OHLE Minimum Wire Height 67

Vertical Clearance to Structures 67

Midland Metro LRV Specification 67

Applied Cant 68

Cant Deficiency 68

Cant Gradient 68

Rate of Change of Cant 68

Rate of Change of Cant Deficiency 68

Vertical Accelerations (with v as the

design speed in km/hr) 68

Jerk (the rate of change of

lateral acceleration) 68

Clearances on Highways 68

Technical Characteristics of Midland Metro Vehicle Used on Line 1 68Graph Showing Permitted Combined

Horizontal and Vertical Track Geometry for Midland Metro 69

Typical Cross Section Arrangements 69

DESIGN PARAMETERS

The design parameters have been derived from sources such as HM Railway Inspectorate (HMRI)Guidance on Tramways standards and the Midland Metro Line 1 specification to produce a generaldesign standard for future expansion of the Midland Metro network and manufacturers specifications.

Horizontal Track Geometry

Desirable minimum horizontal radius (R(H)) = 250m(Off Street Tramway Alignments)Absolute minimum horizontal radius (R(H)min) = 25m(Midland Metro Line 1 Concession Deed: Schedule 2: Clause 11.1)

All of the above are permissible on gradients of up to 4% or in exceptional circumstances a maximum of 8.0% will be considered.

Vertical Track Geometry

Desirable Maximum gradient = 4%

Maximum gradient = 8%

Desirable minimum vertical radius (R(V)) = 1000m(Midland Metro Line 1 Concession Deed: Schedule 2: Clause 11.10)

Absolute minimum vertical radius (R(V)min) = 250m(Midland Metro Line 1 Concession Deed: Schedule 2: Clause 11.10)

Combined Horizontal and Vertical Track Geometry

Please see Design Graph on page?????????.

Stops

Stops to be on the straight.

(800m horizontal radius curve will be considered in exceptional circumstances, and in such situations a desirable maximum of 40mm lateral boarding gap between the tram and platform edge must be maintained.)Maximum Gradient - terminus - 0.2%

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Maximum Gradient - through stops - As open track (except where the driver may leave the vehicle, then the terminus criteria must apply).

Length (terminus) 2 tram + 1x10m straight = 86m+10m=96m

Length (through stop) 1 tram + 2x10m straight = 43m+20m=63m

Horizontal gap between tram and platform should not exceed 40mm.(In the event that a wider gap is proposed a risk assessment will be required for each locationaffected, to determine the likely implications of the increased degree of hazard)

Platform Cross Fall - 2.5% Maximum(measured from the back of trackside edge to the rear of a side platform or centre of an island platform.)

OHLE Minimum Wire Height

Street Running - 5800mm (shared running)(Railway Safety Principles and Guidance, part 2, Section G: Clause 182)

Street Running - 6550mm (shared running at Abnormal Load Routes)(Midland Metro Line 1 Concession Deed: Schedule 2 Figure 4d Note 10)

Public Access - 5200mm (segregated tramway)(Railway Safety Principles and Guidance, part 2, Section G: Clause 183)

Restricted Access - 4300mm (segregated tramway)(Midland Metro Line 1 Concession Deed: Schedule 2: Figure 4d)

OHLE Pull Off (Span) Spacing on Curved Track

a. For Track Radii below 100m seek specialist advice.b. For Pull Off Spacing above 35m seek specialist advice.

(Brecknell Willis & Co. Ltd – Midland Metro Line OHLE contractors)The use of building attachments or combined lighting column methods OHLE support, are preferable to dedicated supports where possible.

Vertical Clearance to Structures

Shared Running - Absolute Minimum - 5950mmDesirable Minimum - 6200mm

Segregated Running - See attached drawing MM/GEN/SD/01

Midland Metro LRV Specification

Track Gauge - 1435mm(Midland Metro Line 1 Concession Deed: Schedule 2: Clause 11.10.4)

Total Length - not more than 43000mm Total Width - 2650mm(Midland Metro Line 1 Concession Deed: Schedule 2: Clause 11.2.3)

The Maximum permitted static height of any LRV is 3675mm including pantograph when stored down and out of use.

(Midland Metro Line 1 Concession Deed: Schedule 2: Figure 4d. 9.)Door Opening Size - minimum 1250mm wide x1910mm high(Midland Metro Line 1 Concession Deed: Schedule 2: Clause 11.3.1)

Power Supply to LRV 750Vdc Nominal(Midland Metro Line 1 Concession Deed: Schedule 2: Clause 11.1.1)(Railway Safety Principles and Guidance: part 2 Section G – Clause 157)

Please see attached page for Ansaldo Midland Metro Line 1 Specification.All new vehicles shall fit within the DKE of the Ansaldo T69 tram.

The following Design Standards have been taken from the ‘Railtrack – Track Design Handbook –RT/CE/S/049’ to be used for the design of future Metro Extensions.

Track Radius (m) Nominal Maximum Span Length (m)

100 15200 20250 25300 25450 30500 35600 35750 401000 452000 45

Applied Cant

Running lines-absolute - 150mmRunning lines-desirable - 100mmStops - zeroSwitches and crossings-desirable - zeroMaximum cant to be applied to straight track in street running for drainage purposes and follow the highway profile - 15mm

Cant Deficiency

Absolute maximum - 130mmDesirable maximum - 110mmMaximum through switches and crossings - 130mm

Cant Gradient

Maximum - 1in400

Rate of Change of Cant

Absolute maximum - 110mm/sDesirable maximum - 55mm/s

Rate of Change of Cant Deficiency

Absolute maximum - 80mm/sDesirable maximum - 55mm/s

Vertical Accelerations (with v as the design speed in km/hr)

Absolute minimum radius for circular curves - (v2/2.54)mNormal minimum radius for circular curves - (v2/1.27)mAbsolute minimum k for parabolic curves - (v2/254)mNormal minimum k for parabolic curves - (v2/127)m

Jerk (the rate of change of lateral acceleration)

Maximum - 0.3m/s3

Clearances on Highways

Where LRVs, are operating in an on street environment, lanes used by both trams and laden goodsvehicles (LGVs) or passenger carrying vehicles (PCVs) should be at least 3530mm wide for a single –lane carriageway and preferably 3650mm, but not less than 3300mm wide for a two lane carriageway. Exceptionally a lane adjacent to that used by trams may be reduced in width to 3250mm.Lane widths narrower than the above should be agreed with the Highways Authority after discussionwith the Department of Transport Local Government and the Regions and Highways Agency.(Reference – Railway Safety Principals and Guidance: part 2, Section G - Clause 99 and Note 2)

Technical Characteristics of Midland Metro Vehicle Used on Line 1.

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Technical Characteristics

Wheel arrangement 8+2+BTrack gauge 1435Total length 24240 mmTotal width 2650 mmMaximum height with pantograph in its housed position 3675 mmMinimum height of contact wire 3865 mmBogie centres 7750 mmBogies wheelbase 1800 mmWheel diameter (new) 680 mmFloor height● at the boarding sills 335 mm● in the low floor areas 350 mm● in the articulation 370 mm● in the high floor areas 850 mm

Headroom● in the high floor areas 2100 mm● in the low floor areas 2400mmDoor opening width 1250 mmTare weight 34000 kgGross weight 44500 kgPassengers: seated 58

standing (4/m2) 102Min. horizontal curve radius 25 mMin. vertical curve radius 250 mMaximum gradient 62.5%Line voltage 750 VocAuxiliary voltage 24 VocTotal continuous power 420 kWMaximum speed 75 km/hAcceleration 1 m/s2Service deceleration 1 m/s2Emergency deceleration 25 m/s2

Graph Showing Permitted Combined Horizontal and Vertical Track Geometry for Midland Metro

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JUL03 09