Bombardier Transportation has been selected as the supplier of the fleet of 16 trams for the upgrade to the Blackpool and Fleetwood Tramway. The decision was raitified by Blackpool Council’s exeutive committee at the start of May and although the trams will not be needed until Easter 2012 it is hoped a prototype will be available earlier.
Although full details of the type of trams which Bombardier will be supplying have not yet been released (they are likely to be from the Flexity family of vehicles) they will be fully low floor and will be constructed in Germany. Bombardier, of course, are a major manufacturer of trams across the UK including the new trams being built for Manchester (although these are high floor) as well as those in use in Croydon and Nottingham. Elsewhere in Europe customers include Dortmund (Germany), Valencia (Spain) and Krakow (Poland).
Cllr Peter Callow, leader of Blackpool Council, said: “This is a major step forward. Blackpool will be the only place where you can ride on heritage and modern trams. The new trams will be aimed at getting people out of their cars and using the trams instead. There will be fewer stops which will cut journey times. I think this will help business and show the public that Blackpool is on the move. I would like to get one of these supertrams on the Promenade earlier than 2012 so that people can see what they will look like."
A report to the Council executive committee called Bombardier “one of the major suppliers of trams and rolling stock in the world" and that their bid “provided the lowest price and the best technical proposals."
At the same meeting it was decided that BAM Nuttall have been chosen for track relaying and building the new tram stops and Volker Fitzpatrick will build the new depot (wherever that might be – Starr Gate the current preferred option).
Source: Blackpool Gazette