In Pictures: The “Auld Tram” in Dundee

Posted on Wednesday 26 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

In many towns and cities across the UK there are coffee shops/kiosks which are in temporary structures – and some of these are designed to look like trams. There is one such one in Dundee but unlike many of the others across the country this one is also sat on old tram tracks!

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In Pictures: MER trailer 19 back in service – for first time in over 50 years!

Posted on Tuesday 25 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

The Transport Festival on the Isle of Man is now in full swing with eight days of events across the island’s railway and tramway network. The Steam Railway is celebrating 150 years and the Manx Electric Railway has reached 130 years of operation and to mark the occasions this years event is even more action packed than normal! While our full pictorial review will follow next month, we’ll be picking out some highlights and the first of those happened on the first day – Sunday 23rd July. This was the re-entry into service of MER trailer 19, running in passenger service for the first time since 1971.

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National Transport Awards announce shortlist for UK Tram Operator of the Year

Posted on Tuesday 25 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

Awards season seems to be approaching as the shortlists for the National Transport Awards – not due to take place until 5th October – has now been announced. Amongst the many categories to be announced on the night, is the UK Tram Operator of the Year and the vast majority of modern tramway systems in the country are up for this award.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Edinburgh Trams, Manchester Metrolink, Nottingham Express Transit, South Yorkshire Supertram, West Midlands Metro | Comments Off on National Transport Awards announce shortlist for UK Tram Operator of the Year

In Pictures: Urbos3s in service on West Midlands Metro

Posted on Monday 24 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

Over the past month or so the service on the West Midlands Metro has been heavily dominated by the newer Urbos100 class of trams, with the Urbos3s mainly confined to driver training duties. Indeed its thought that Friday 21st July was the first day for approximately a month that multiple Urbos3s were in service when 28, 31 and 36 were all in service with 37 being used on driver training duties.

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In Pictures: Metrolink mock-up at Manchester Museum of Transport

Posted on Monday 24 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

Often before a new tramway, or even a new class of tram, is introduced the manufacturers of the trams produce a mock-up which allows the public to see what they may expect when services commence. Many of those mock-ups have a very short life span as once their original purpose is over they find no new role and are scrapped. But some have a longer life, whether that be as a “Tram Lounge” in Edinburgh or in the case of the Metrolink T68 mock-up put on display at a museum.

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Out and About: Trams at The Hawthorns – May 2023

Posted on Monday 24 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

“Out and About” is off to the West Midlands Metro today as we take a look at a couple of Urbos100s in action.

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Manchester Metrolink Then & Now: St Werburgh’s Road

Posted on Sunday 23 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

“Then & Now” today returns to Manchester Metrolink’s South Manchester line as we continue this series where we see images before the trams arrived and after they started running.

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Timetable of events for Volk’s Electric Railway 140th anniversary weekend announced

Posted on Sunday 23 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

As reported earlier this year, 2023 marks the 140th anniversary of the Volk’s Electric Railway and Brighton & Hove Council and the Volk’s Electric Railway Association have teamed up to run a special event to celebrate the occasion over the weekend of Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th August.

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Lower Bull Street reopens as Birmingham Eastside extension work progresses

Posted on Sunday 23 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

Yes, it an extension of the West Midlands Metro which has no opening date (not even a year), but work on the Birmingham Eastside extension has continued to progress in recent weeks and months away from the area around the HS2 station at Curzon Street. Progress has now been so good in the city centre on Lower Bull Street that the road is set to reopen with buses able to return to a stop on Corporation Street as from Sunday 23rd July.

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MER Freight Trailer 26 to return for Year of the Railways Festival!

Posted on Saturday 22 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

The Manx Summer Transport Festival is nearly upon us with the eight day event taking place between Sunday 23rd and Sunday 30th July and in the immediate lead-up to the event a few changes to what is happening have been announced. Inevitably, since the original programme was announced earlier this year there have had to be some changes with vehicle availability and other circumstances having changed – but those changes and not a negative as its also been announced that MER Freight Trailer 26 has been restored back to use!

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Around the World in Trams: Rome 2203

Posted on Saturday 22 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

Its that time of the week again when we head overseas and its Rome that we stay in this week for this edition of “Around the World in Trams”.

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In Pictures: The trams at the Ipswich Transport Museum

Posted on Saturday 22 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

The Ipswich Transport Museum – which oddly enough is located in Ipswich! – is the home to two cosmetically restored tramcars. In this pictorial article we take a look at those vehicles on display on 30th July 2022.

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All-night trams return to Edinburgh for the Festival

Posted on Saturday 22 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

Edinburgh Trams will again be operating services throughout the night on Fridays and Saturdays in August during the world famous Festival – and for the first time this will see trams running on the extension to Newhaven.

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Damaged wheels and Brexit blamed for Tramlink woes

Posted on Friday 21 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

A report on the https://insidecroydon.com/ Inside Croydon website has confirmed that the current tram shortages being suffered on the London Tramlink network have been caused by wheel damage with repairs taking longer than they should because of supply issues due to Brexit.

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Last demolition work completed at Gosforth Depot

Posted on Friday 21 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

The final remnants of the old buildings at the Tyne and Wear Metro Depot at Goforth have been demolished. The buildings, some of which date to the opening of the depot in 1923, have been removed to make way for the new state of the art facilities being built for Stadler to maintain the new fleet of trains, the first of which have already been delivered.

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Picture in Time: Manx Electric Railway 9

Posted on Friday 21 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

In this latest edition of “Picture in Time” we are staying on the Isle of Man as we view another of the trams which still make up the fleet of the Manx Electric Railway.

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In Pictures: More construction images from Birmingham Eastside

Posted on Thursday 20 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

We recently brought you news of progress on construction and demolition work on the planned West Midlands Metro Birmingham Eastside extension with buildings having been demolished and track continuing to be laid. In this latest article we return to the extension to see more of the construction progress as track continues to be laid at both ends of the route. The photographer is Ken Jones.

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Trampower to continue Southwark tram route development – despite TfL concerns

Posted on Thursday 20 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

Trampower are to continue to with their plans for a tram route in the London borough of Southwark – even though Transport for London have expressed their concern about the scheme. The planned route would run between London Bridge and Denmark Hill and Trampower claim that it could be built within 12 months and at reduced costs to the taxpayer.

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Midland Metro Alliance gives out prizes after creative design competition

Posted on Thursday 20 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

As well as constructing the West Midlands Metro extensions, the Midland Metro Alliance ae heavily involved in community engagement and as part of this they have recently handed out prizes in a special celebration event for the winners of a creative design competition it has been running with pupils from Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) schools and Alternative Provision (AP) schools.

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In Pictures: Blackpool Centenary 645 moves to Crich!

Posted on Wednesday 19 July 2023 by Gareth Prior

There are stories you expect and then there are stories you don’t! We think this one falls firmly in the latter category! Blackpool Centenary 645 has been donated to the National Tramway Museum at Crich where it is to be assessed with a view to becoming the second Access Tram at the museum, as well as having the benefit of being one person operated at times when there may be crew shortages.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Crich Tramway Village | 23 Comments