Output announced for first Blackpool Enhanced Weekend of 2023

Posted on Wednesday 15 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

Is it that time already? Yes, we are only a few days away from the first Enhanced Weekend of 2023 for Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours and the planned tram output has now been announced which should see 10 different trams allocated to tours across the two day event.

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Free tram travel to be offered to Fire and Rescue Service personnel in Edinburgh

Posted on Wednesday 15 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

Fire and Rescue Service personnel are being offered free tram travel to allow them to pay their respects to a fellow firefighter who tragically lost his life in the line of duty last month in Edinburgh. Barry Martin was critically injured during a blaze at the Jenners building and died in hospital a few days later.

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Birmingham Eastside extension takes a step forward with demolition work

Posted on Tuesday 14 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

Work to demolish a building, which will allow further construction work to take place on the West Midlands Metro Birmingham Eastside extension, has been making good progress in recent works. The Kings Parade site in Dale End was home to a McDonald’s before it closed in 2021 and has since been empty with it in the way of the path of the tramway which requires its demolition.

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Delays from other road users in focus at UKTram

Posted on Tuesday 14 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

Members of the UKTram Executive Group have agreed to share best practice on measures that they are taking to cut down on delays to services caused by other road users as part of the continued collaborative working between different operating companies across the country. Its hoped that this sharing of knowledge will hep to improve reliability and reduce costs by targeting  disruption that’s been caused by factors outside of their control.

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In Pictures: Full advert for Edinburgh Trams 270

Posted on Monday 13 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

Since the end of 2016 we have become used to advertising liveries on Edinburgh Trams consisting of full height vinyls on two of the seven sections of the tram with the other parts just having an advert above the windows. But that pattern has now been ended as the latest advert – on 270 – is the first true all over advert with all traces of standard fleet livery having been removed in favour of vinyls for Breitling.

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Winning poetry entries go on display at Longbenton Metro station

Posted on Monday 13 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

The winners of Nexus’ National Pottery Day competition have gone on display at Longbenton station on the Tyne and Wear Metro. One winner and three runners-up are now on display at the station which has more than one million passengers travel through it every year.

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Trams &: Manchester Metrolink 3022+3017 & bus

Posted on Monday 13 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

We return to Manchester for today’s edition of “Trams &” as we picture a Metrolink tram passing a Metrolink replacement bus back in March 2020.

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Stop by Stop: Nottingham Express Transit: Hucknall & Phoenix Park – David Lane

Posted on Sunday 12 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

Its time to continue our trip on Nottingham Express Transit as we head towards Hucknall and Phoenix Park and today we reach the stop at David Lane.

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Blackpool Model Tramway Exhibition confirmed for end of April

Posted on Sunday 12 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

There will be a Model Tramway Exhibition taking place in Blackpool on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th April, the first time in several years that an exhibition of this type has taken place in the resort.

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Edinburgh Trams up for three more awards

Posted on Sunday 12 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

The forthcoming Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2023 could see Edinburgh Trams walk away with three more awards following confirmation of nominations. Nicola Mearns, from the Marketing department, is up for “Young Business Person of the Year” whilst they are also nominated for “Large Business of the Year” and “Innovation and Business”.

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What’s New on British Trams Online? 12th February 2023

Posted on Sunday 12 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

Another “20 Photos of…” this week as we head to Croydon Tramlink:

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First new DLR train enjoys a visit from the Mayor

Posted on Saturday 11 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

The first of a planned 54 new walk-through trains for the Docklands Light Railway has been delivered to Beckton Depot and has already been treated to a visit for Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. The train has been built by CAF and carries the number 201 (confirming the numbering sequence) and will start overnight testing in the coming months ahead of an entry into service, probably in 2024.

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Around the World in Trams: Strasbourg 2036

Posted on Saturday 11 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

The next stop on our world tour is Strasbourg in France – a city with three main classes of tram still operating.

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In Pictures: Back to fleet livery for Blackpool 001 and 011

Posted on Saturday 11 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

After several years of bemoaning the fact that once an advert is added to a modern Blackpool tram it seems to be there to stay until its replaced there has been a development recently as two of the four Flexity2 trams carrying all over adverts have lost them and returned to full fleet livery. The trams concerned are 001 and 011.

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TfGM launch new “Tram Aware” campaign

Posted on Saturday 11 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

Transport for Greater Manchester are urging motorists to “be tram aware” when they are driving close to Manchester Metrolink tracks as a part of a new safety campaign. Footage of recent road traffic collisions has been released to back up this campaign with 91 car v tram collisions reported between April and December 2022 – the majority of which were down to motorist error.

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In Pictures: 31 goes fully blue – and loses its Cyrille Regis vinyls in the process

Posted on Friday 10 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

If you regularly read our news stories on the West Midlands Metro and the gradual repairs and return to service of the Urbos3 trams you’ll have seen the mention of the plain white panels and the application of new vinyls. As time has gone on more of the repaired trams have returned to the full house style (the plain white panels are where they have been replaced as part of the repair work) and one of the latest is 31, although unfortunately, at the same time it has lost its special Cyrille Regis MBE vinyls.

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Chance to see behind the scenes on the Isle of Man this Easter

Posted on Friday 10 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

Whilst the big transport events for 2023 will come later in the year (to help celebrate 130 years of the Manx Electric Railway and 150 years of the Isle of Man Steam Railway) the year will start with a small selection of events over the Easter Weekend. Whilst not of the same level as seen in recent years with Rush Hour on the Railways a regular fixture in the calendar the year there will still be the chance to see behind the scenes and to get behind the handles on the MER.

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Picture in Time: South Yorkshire Supertram 18

Posted on Friday 10 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

We are back with another edition of “Picture in Time” today as we return to Sheffield for another photo taken in 1995 in the early days of the Supertram system.

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Balloon 710 returns to Rigby Road

Posted on Thursday 9 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

Possibly the most famous Blackpool tram to the general public, Balloon 710, has returned to Rigby Road Depot where it will become an exhibit at the Tramtown visitor attraction. The tram made the short move from outside storage at Wyre Dock on Wednesday 8th February 2023.

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Solent Sky Tram Event 2023 details confirmed

Posted on Thursday 9 February 2023 by Gareth Prior

2023 is a key year for a couple of the trams under the auspices of the Southampton Tram Project and to help them celebrate their special birthdays there is to be a special event at the Solent Sky museum in June again this year. Having taken place last year, the Solent Sky Tram Event 2023 will be taking place on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th June 2023.

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