Horse tram service from the end of July?

Posted on Thursday 30 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

Can it be true? Are we actually going to see horse trams running on the Isle of Man again? If all goes according to plan a service on the remaining section of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway between Derby Castle and Broadway should start from the end of July for a brief season until September – but there does remain some work to be completed before this can be fully confirmed.

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Edinburgh Trams nominated in five categories at Scottish Transport Awards

Posted on Thursday 30 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

Edinburgh Trams could be celebrating again later this year after it was revealed they have been nominated in five different categories at the forthcoming Scottish Transport Awards. These prestigious awards will be taking place in September in Glasgow.

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Trams will return at Crich this weekend!

Posted on Wednesday 29 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

It’s the news we’ve been waiting for – a tram service will resume at Crich on Saturday 2nd July! This comes after the completion of successful testing of the newly renewed infrastructure which had caused the service to be suspended from 18th May.

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Posted in Crich Tramway Village | 2 Comments

In Pictures: Welcome to Manchester M5000 3143!

Posted on Wednesday 29 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

It may be six months until Christmas but Manchester Metrolink have got an early present – the latest M5000 was delivered to Queens Road Depot on Saturday 25th June! 3143 made the usual trip from the Alstom/Bombardier plant in Germany via Hull before arriving at its new long-term home.

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Strikes could spread to Edinburgh Trams

Posted on Wednesday 29 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

Staff at Edinburgh Trams could be set to go on strike in time for the Edinburgh Festival in another pay dispute. Members of the Unite union are being balloted for potential strike action after the latest pay offer from Edinburgh Trams was rejected with union officials declaring it as “derisory”.

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In Pictures: Week of daylight testing to Blackpool North gets underway

Posted on Tuesday 28 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

Monday 27th June. Mark that date in your diary for that is the date that daylight testing of the Blackpool Tramway extension up Talbot Road to Blackpool North Railway Station got underway. As a prelude to public services beginning – which are still some way off as further work is needed at the terminus end of the line – this testing will be used to check all infrastructure is working as it should do as well as the phasing of the lights etc.

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Trams tested at Crich after new poles installed

Posted on Tuesday 28 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

Some pleasing news to report from the Crich Tramway Village where following the installation of the two new overhead support poles on the Depot fan by contractors Pod-Trak trams have now started to testing ahead of services resuming in the near future.

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In Pictures: Tarmac down in Douglas – will we see trams running soon?

Posted on Tuesday 28 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

Since we last featured the construction works related to the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway back in mid-May there has been further significant progress with tarmac now down surrounding the tracks in preparation for a return to action for the horse trams. When that may be is unknown as there remains no official word on this with the last official statement saying they were hoping for a limited season following the TT period, which is now over.

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Heaton Park Tramway gets ready for a Tramtastic weekend!

Posted on Monday 27 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

Please note amendments to the timetabled events – see the main article in italics

Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd July sees the latest special event at Manchester’s Heaton Park Tramway as Tramtastic takes place. This year it’s the double the fun as its been expanded to a two day event with all the usual favourites of events at the tramway on offer for visitors.

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Posted in Event Previews, Heaton Park Tramway | 9 Comments

Don’t forget! Seaton’s Tramathon Live on 2nd July!

Posted on Monday 27 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

Seaton Tramway’s now annual Tramathon Live fundraiser returns on Saturday 2nd July. With all 12 operational trams due to appear during the day (subject to the usual caveats) this year the event will only last for 12 hours (instead of the 24 of the past couple of years) – but that’s still 12 action packed hours of trams through the Axe Valley!

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Out and About: A busy Deansgate-Castlefield

Posted on Monday 27 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

In this edition of “Out and About” we head back to Manchester as we take a look at a busy scene at Deansgate-Castlefield.

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Trams in Video: East Anglia Transport Museum 50th Anniversary

Posted on Sunday 26 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

This latest video from Bob Hodges was shot at the East Anglia Transport Museum 50th anniversary held on Sunday 29th May. This is the first part of the video which concentrates on the trams – three were running on the day: Blackpool 159, Sheffield 513 and London Transport 1858.

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Posted in East Anglia Transport Museum, Trams in Video | 1 Comment

Police Box to be restored at Crich Tramway Village

Posted on Sunday 26 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

Anyone who has ever visited the Crich Tramway Village has probably noticed the historic Metropolitan Police Box at Town End – usually when a child points and shouts “it’s the Tardis”! – and now the 1930s box is set to be restored thanks to support from Arts Council England.

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Boost for light rail safety with new government funding

Posted on Sunday 26 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

The Light Rail Safety and Standards Board have been awarded a package of £3.3 million from the Department of Transport which will enable them to continue with their vital safety work over the next three years. A number of projects will now be able to proceed during this period in a boost to safety on light rail networks in the UK.

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What’s New on British Trams Online? 26th June 2022

Posted on Sunday 26 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

Our photos this week include the second part of the Blackpool trilogy:

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In Pictures: A new look for an old Midland Metro T69

Posted on Saturday 25 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

Long Marston has long been the home for the remaining redundant Midland Metro T69s but since they arrived between 2014 and 2019 they have done little except sit there waiting for a new use to be found for them. Until now that is as one of the four trams there (but presumably not preserved 11) has received a repaint into a special livery for the British Transport Police and was used for a demonstration during the recent Rail Live event.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 2 Comments

Around the World in Trams: Lviv 822+818

Posted on Saturday 25 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

Its time for another edition of “Around the World in Trams” and Lviv in Ukraine is again the location for another couple of images taken in February 1994.

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Metro extension to see more progress through Dudley

Posted on Saturday 25 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

Work on the West Midlands Metro extension to Brierley Hill – slated to open in 2023 – is set to see further progress in the coming weeks with work on Castle Hill, Dudley due to move to the other side of the road from Monday 27th June. This comes after the completion of tracklaying on one side of the road – the first major section of rails to be have been laid on the complete extension which leaves the current Metro line at Wednesbury.

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NET manager recognised at European award ceremony

Posted on Saturday 25 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

Nottingham Express Transit Tram Technical Manager, Laura Bartram, has been recognised as a rising star in the European transport sector after winning an award at the European Mobility Exhibition in Paris.

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In Pictures: Two more new adverts in Edinburgh!

Posted on Friday 24 June 2022 by Gareth Prior

You wait ages for a new advert and then several come at once! After the end of last week saw Edinburgh Trams 264 receive adverts for Tennent’s Light we have now seen sister trams 251 and 275 receive new designs, for St James Quarter and Play at Edinburgh Park respectively.

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