Manchester Metrolink Then & Now: Old Trafford

Posted on Sunday 8 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

Moving away from St Peter’s Square for the last in this series of “Manchester Metrolink Then & Now” as we go to Old Trafford.

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West of England will look at trams as part of future strategy

Posted on Sunday 8 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

Earlier this month we saw the headline grabbing announcement from the UK government that the biggest ever package of funding to English regions for transport improvements would be given for the five years from 2027/8 (although some will be made available earlier to ensure projects can get going as soon as possible). At the time of that announcement the biggest projects set to benefit were to be in the north east, Manchester, West Midlands, and West and South Yorkshire; but they aren’t the only regions which will see extra money available.

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Posted in Bath and Bristol | 2 Comments

Nexus appoint consultants for Metro extension to Washington as public engagement events announced

Posted on Sunday 8 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

Following the announcement by Mayor of the North East, Kim McGuiness, that part of the major government funding for the region will go towards the construction of the first new Tyne and Wear Metro line for over 30 years, comes the news that not only have they appointed technical consultants to help develop the plans but also that public engagement events will be taking place from mid-June onwards.

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What’s New on British Trams Online 2025? 8th June 2025

Posted on Sunday 8 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

This week we head to the Blackpool Tramway for a set of images taken this May:

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In Pictures: Trackwork underway in Piccadilly Gardens

Posted on Saturday 7 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

Manchester Metrolink is once again running a revised service with more major investment in improving and maintaining the infrastructure underway in Piccadilly Gardens. This is the start of a lengthy closure between Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly Station, which will last for around two months.

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Around the World in Trams: East Berlin 65

Posted on Saturday 7 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

Whilst we usually change location when we start a new month, as we had one remaining shot from this fascinating visit of Donald Brooks to East Berlin in 1979 we felt it was appropriate to conclude this look as “Around the World in Trams” continues.

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In Pictures: Tram replacement services in Sheffield

Posted on Saturday 7 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

As we’ve previously reported, the latest set of trackworks on the South Yorkshire Supertram network took place on Langsett Road between 24th and 30th May 2025. The work meant that no trams ran between Cathedral and either Malin Bridge or Middlewood and led to a bus replacement service being used – including the return to Sheffield’s streets of the bendy bus! But it wasn’t all about the bendy bus as these photos from Luke Goldsworthy show.

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Wednesbury Great Western Street improvement works completed

Posted on Saturday 7 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

Work to improve the public space at the West Midlands Metro Wednesbury Great Western Street has been completed, thanks to funding through the government’s Levelling Up Programme.

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In Pictures: Let us entertain you! Edinburgh Trams celebrates 11 years as Robbie Williams is in the city

Posted on Friday 6 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

Saturday 31st May 2025 was the eleventh anniversary of Edinburgh Trams with the first public services having run on 31st May 2014 (which also happened to be a Saturday). The same date was another busy one for the network as Robbie Williams was entertaining the crowds at Murrayfield Stadium – and as is always the case with events at Murrayfield the best way to get there is by tram with well rehearsed plans for mass crowd movement and extra trams put into place. Photos from Roy Calderwood.

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Coming in July – The Bus Collection at Alford Open Day 2025

Posted on Friday 6 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

For a village (a large village as Wikipedia tells us) there is a lot of transport interest in Alford, Aberdeenshire. We have regularly seen updates from the Alford Valley Community Railway this year as former Aberdeen Suburban Tramways Company 11 is restored into a carriage, and alongside the railway is the Grampian Transport Museum. And then within the grounds of the Grampian Transport Museum is the Bus Collection at Alford which will be holding an open day on Sunday 13th July 2025.

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Picture in Time: Manchester Metrolink 1025

Posted on Friday 6 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

We have one last picture from the summer of 1994 in Manchester in this latest outing for “Picture in Time”.

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In Pictures: Two new adverts in Manchester

Posted on Thursday 5 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

Two trams which lost their last advertising liveries in Manchester within the past couple of months have rejoined the ranks of trams with adverts after they received new wraps at the start of June 2025. The two trams we are writing about are 3081 and 3097.

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Lucie arrives at Beamish!

Posted on Thursday 5 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

Lucie – the steam tram engine which started off life in Belgium and has now been restored to operational condition at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway – has arrived at Beamish for a short (and not previously announced) loan period. The loco arrived on 4th June 2025 and it is set to be used on the Colliery Railway during the “A Collier’s Life: At Work & Play” event on 5th and 6th July 2025.

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Nexus employees present over £6,000 to animal charity

Posted on Thursday 5 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

Similar to many organisations across the UK, each year Nexus employees nominate a charity to raise funds for and over the past 12 months they have been completing various activities to support Bryson’s Animal Shelter. They have now been able to present a cheque for over £6,000 for the charity following the culmination of the past year’s activities.

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Posted in Tyne and Wear Metro | 1 Comment

Major funding boost for trams across the English regions

Posted on Wednesday 4 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

Despite fears that the forthcoming government spending review would see funding removed from various transport projects across the English regions (outside of London) the reverse looks set to be the case with Chancellor Rachel Reeves announcing £15.6 billion worth of funding during a speech in Greater Manchester. Whilst not all going to tram and light rail projects a sizeable chunk will go that way with a boost for projects in Manchester, Sheffield, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire.

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Posted in Leeds Tram, Manchester Metrolink, South Yorkshire Supertram, Tyne and Wear Metro, West Midlands Metro | 11 Comments

In Pictures: 30 back in service and 50 being tested on West Midlands Metro

Posted on Wednesday 4 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

Article updated 5/6/25 with 50 returning to service.

Over the past few months there seems to have been a very concerted effort by the West Midlands Metro to get more and more trams operational again. Although a normal day only requires 16 trams in service, and they have a complete fleet of 42 (even if some are long-term out of use), a number of trams have returned to action recently, or are being tested ahead of a return.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 1 Comment

Coventry Very Light Rail in the news

Posted on Wednesday 4 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

The Very Light Rail pilot project which is currently under test in Coventry has had a fair bit of news coverage over the past few months, with the BBC picking up on the plans and exploring what it could mean for the future of transport schemes in the UK. That came following a visit to the construction site of the short demonstration track in the West Midlands city by members of both UKTram and the West Midlands Combined Authority at the start of April.

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In Pictures: A closer look at some of Edinburgh’s Emirates adverts

Posted on Tuesday 3 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

As we reported at the end of May, a number of trams in Edinburgh have received new full wrap adverts for Emirates. At the time of writing six trams – 255, 257, 258, 268, 272 and 273 – have received identical wraps and its expected that more will be on the way with a new tram currently being wrapped on most days. In this article we take a closer look at the new advert on some of the trams.

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WMCA approve refreshed business case for Eastside extension

Posted on Tuesday 3 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

You may be forgiven for thinking I’m sure I’ve heard that approved before, and you’d probably be right, but the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Board have recently given approval for sections 3 and 4 of the Birmingham Eastside West Midlands Metro extension. Said in a lot of media reports to be linked to Birmingham City FC’s new ground and larger sports complex, this is actually just a previously approved section of the line already under construction, but its hoped by its approval it will give confidence for a future major expansion further eastwards.

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UKTram joins global transport leaders at UTIP meeting in Turin

Posted on Tuesday 3 June 2025 by Gareth Prior

Taking place between 25th and 27th March 2025, the UTIP Joint Bus and Light Rail Committee met in Turin, Italy as they explored integrated solutions for the future of public transport. UKTram were represented at the meeting by Phillip Terry, Lead Engineer, as best practice examples and case studies from across Europe were showcased.

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