Just what is going on with the Wirral Transport Museum?

Posted on Friday 16 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

The headline is a very good question and isn’t one which is going to be answered in this article as it seems no-one really knows! You’ll recall earlier this year that Wirral Borough Council had confirmed the removal of previously earmarked funding, £4.5 million of it, which was due to be used by new operators of the museum, Big Heritage, to expand the museum and update it to cover the complete history of transport in Birkenhead. Now, recent media reports have apparently seen a leaked report (used to make the decision on removal of funding) which casts doubt on the reasons the Council gave for taking the cash away.

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Posted in Birkenhead Heritage Tramway | 1 Comment

£1 billion proposal revealed for more major Metro expansion

Posted on Friday 16 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

Richard Parker, Mayor of West Midlands, and other local politicians and businesses have been involved in in-depth discussions with the government in recent months to try and secure funding for another major expansion of the West Midlands Metro network – which could see it go further into East Birmingham and further on to Solihull. The proposals would cost £1 billion but after these discussions the Mayor is hopeful that the plans will be supported.

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Picture in Time: Manchester Metrolink 1007

Posted on Friday 16 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

We head back into the archives for another edition of “Picture in Time” with a photo coming from 1994 in Manchester.

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Coventry Very Light Rail demonstration tracks put down

Posted on Thursday 15 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

Rail vehicle in its home city, its been confirmed that the 220 metre test track has now been fully laid. The track is on Greyfriars Road and Queen Victoria Road and is the first time that the innovative modular track form has been embedded within a live urban corridor.

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Major summer works confirmed for Metrolink

Posted on Thursday 15 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

2025 is set to be another year of considerable investment in the Manchester Metrolink infrastructure with confirmation of a major closure impacting services through Piccadilly Gardens for over two months from early June to the start of August.

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UKTram Light Rail Operators Committee meet in Sheffield

Posted on Thursday 15 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

The last week of March saw the Light Rail Operators Committee (LROC) from UKTram meet in Sheffield where they saw details of an overspeed control system which is being tested in the UK whilst they also discussed operational priorities for the sector.

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In Pictures: West Midlands Metro Black Country line construction update

Posted on Wednesday 14 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

If the current opening date is met of autumn 2025 we could be just seven months away from seeing the first trams running on phase one of the Black Country line on the West Midlands Metro between Wednesbury and Dudley. As the countdown continues Andy Walters goes back out to see some of the recent progress with both general infrastructure and trackwork being seen in this review.

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Solent Sky Tram Event back for 2025

Posted on Wednesday 14 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

The now annual Solent Sky Tram Event will be taking place on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd June 2025 at the museum in Southampton which has been the home of the trams owned by the Southampton Tram Project for several years now. And this year’s event looks set to be a historic one as it will be the first chance to see Southampton 11 on its own trucks and rail in over 75 years!

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NTU Students join forces with NET to design a tramstop of the future

Posted on Wednesday 14 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

A collaborative project between students from Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and Nottingham Express Transit, and Nottingham City Council has helped to design concepts for a “tramstop of the future”. Students from the Civil Engineering and Product Design courses came together to showcase their thoughts on what stops could look like in the future.

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Posted in Nottingham Express Transit | 2 Comments

In Pictures: Sheffield 513 & London Transport 1858 in service at East Anglia Transport Museum

Posted on Tuesday 13 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

We are going back to the East Anglia Transport Museum once again in this latest pictorial article as we see some of the operations on Sunday 4th and Monday 5th May 2025. On this visit by Bryan Grint, Sheffield 513 and London Transport 1858 were in action and we take a closer look at that stunning tram as it runs along the tramway. There is also the time to see some of the other sights at the museum, including a peek into the trolleybus depot.

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Heaton Park Tramway Museum to open once a month until September

Posted on Tuesday 13 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

Manchester’s Heaton Park Tramway have announced that whilst the substation repair works continue they will be opening their museum in the former Middleton Road shelter once a month until the end of September. The first opening date for 2025 will be on Sunday 25th May.

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Four day closure for Metro’s Airport line

Posted on Tuesday 13 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

There will be no Tyne and Wear Metro services between Regent Centre and the Airport from Thursday 29th May to Sunday 1st June to allow level crossing work to take place. Advantage will also be taken of this four day closure by completing over infrastructure work as part of the continued investment in the network by Nexus.

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A trip to… West Midlands Metro and their advert trams

Posted on Monday 12 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

For a period from the middle of March until early May 2025, the West Midlands Metro was home to four trams carrying advertising vinyl wraps. On a warm and sunny spring morning – Tuesday 8th April for the record – all four were in action on the same day and were captured in the sunshine as they operated on the line between Edgbaston Village and Wolverhampton Railway Station. Michael Morton took the photos.

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They’ve Run in 2025!

Posted on Monday 12 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

For the first time this year we bring you a round-up of which heritage trams have operated across the British Isles, which includes the three lines on the Isle of Man. The idea behind this list is to give an update on any tram which has been used in passenger service – test runs don’t count although private hires do. As always, if you notice there are any omissions or errors please let us know!

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Posted in Beamish Tramway, Birkenhead Heritage Tramway, Black Country Living Museum, Blackpool Tramway, Burton & Ashby 14, Crich Tramway Village, Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, East Anglia Transport Museum, Great Orme Tramway, Heaton Park Tramway, Manx Electric Railway, Seaton Tramway, Snaefell Mountain Railway, Summerlee Museum Tramway, They Ran in 2025, Volk's Electric Railway | 1 Comment

Old(er) and New – Manchester Metrolink: Old Trafford

Posted on Monday 12 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

For this edition of “Old(er) and New” we head out of the city centre and find ourselves at Old Trafford.

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Out and About 2025: Edinburgh Trams – Ocean Terminal

Posted on Sunday 11 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

For another edition of “Out and About” we go to Edinburgh and feature more trams in service.

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Blackpool 166 latest to return to service at Crich

Posted on Sunday 11 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

Article updated with photo 18/5/25.

With the spring brining plenty of sunshine – and some warmer temperatures – what could be better than enjoying an open tram ride? The team at the Crich Tramway Village obviously think the same as well with the latest tram to be recommissioned for service this year being Blackpool Toastrack 166.

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Four becomes three on West Midlands Metro

Posted on Sunday 11 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

There are now only three advertising liveries on the West Midlands Metro after the vinyls on 53 were removed. This tram had been advertising KFC since March 2025 but with the contract now having come to an end 53 is once again operating in standard fleet livery.

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Tyne and Wear Metro overhead line work: Sunday 18th May 2025

Posted on Sunday 11 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

Essential overhead line maintenance work will be taking place on the Tyne and Wear Metro from 2100 on Sunday 18th May 2025 meaning no trams will be able to work south of South Gosforth.

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In Pictures: Sheffield Station the terminus over May Day Bank Holiday

Posted on Saturday 10 May 2025 by Gareth Prior

A few days ago we saw the trackworks taking place at Gleadless Townend on the South Yorkshire Supertram system over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend. As a result of these works there were service changes in place with no trams running any further than Sheffield Station in the direction of Halfway or Herdings Park. This meant Sheffield Station was a temporary terminus and in these photos Stuart Cooke shows us the arrangements for trams turning there.

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