More funding for the DfT for English regional light rail

Posted on Tuesday 1 March 2022 by Gareth Prior

English bus and light rail operators are to be awarded a further £150 million in funding as part of final phase of pandemic related financial support for the sector from the Department for Transport. This funding is due to last until October 2022 after which the government expect no further emergency funding to be offered to either bus or light rail services in England.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Manchester Metrolink, Nottingham Express Transit, South Yorkshire Supertram, Tyne and Wear Metro, West Midlands Metro | Comments Off on More funding for the DfT for English regional light rail

Complete a survey and you could win a month’s free travel on NET

Posted on Tuesday 1 March 2022 by Gareth Prior

Nottingham Express Transit are giving passengers on the network the chance to win a month’s free travel – just by completing a survey on the service. All completed surveys will then be entered into a prize draw with one participant being selected at random at the end of March. The survey is open until 31st March and can be accessed at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NTramsCustomerSurvey.

Posted in Nottingham Express Transit | Comments Off on Complete a survey and you could win a month’s free travel on NET

In Pictures: Trams under attention at Carlton Colville

Posted on Monday 28 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

The hard work to get trams ready for a new season at the East Anglia Transport Museum is well underway with London Transport 1858, Blackpool 159 and now Sheffield 513 all having received attention over the past couple of months. Whilst getting any tram back into service is enough to get excited about when 513’s work is completed it will be that little bit more exciting as it hasn’t run in passenger service since 2019.

Continue reading →

Posted in East Anglia Transport Museum | Comments Off on In Pictures: Trams under attention at Carlton Colville

Luas Engineering Works: March 2022

Posted on Monday 28 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

There are to be further engineering works on the Luas network over two weekends in March, affecting the Red Line. These works will mainly be taking place overnight but will see temporary changes to the operating hours on the Red Line.

Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Luas | Comments Off on Luas Engineering Works: March 2022

Still Standing! Brighton Corporation Tramways Depot – revisited!

Posted on Monday 28 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

Today we return to a location we have featured before – the former Brighton Corporation Tramway Depot on Lewes Road – and take an alternative view at the structure, which remains in use as a bus depot to this day.

Continue reading →

Posted in Still Standing! | Comments Off on Still Standing! Brighton Corporation Tramways Depot – revisited!

Stop by Stop Blackpool Tramway: Thornton Gate

Posted on Sunday 27 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

On we go towards Fleetwood with the next stop on the Blackpool Tramway in “Stop by Stop” being Thornton Gate.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Stop by Stop | Comments Off on Stop by Stop Blackpool Tramway: Thornton Gate

New document management system to aid Edinburgh Trams Inquiry

Posted on Sunday 27 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

The ongoing, and lengthy, Edinburgh Trams Inquiry is set to have a new £120,000 document management system introduced as the wait goes on to find out what Lord Hardie’s findings will be. There are over three million documents which are having to be considered as part of the Inquiry and this new system will allow these to be searched and analysed a lot quicker.

Continue reading →

Posted in Edinburgh Trams | Comments Off on New document management system to aid Edinburgh Trams Inquiry

Out and About: Blackpool 31 in service at Beamish

Posted on Sunday 27 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

This latest edition of “Out and About” is heading to Beamish where we see Blackpool 31 in service along with other trams at rest in the depot.

Continue reading →

Posted in Beamish Tramway, Out and About | Comments Off on Out and About: Blackpool 31 in service at Beamish

What’s New on British Trams Online? 27th February 2022

Posted on Sunday 27 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

The final main site update of February heads off to Blackpool for images coming from the Vintage Weekend:

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Site News | Comments Off on What’s New on British Trams Online? 27th February 2022

Former Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust trams continue to seek new homes

Posted on Saturday 26 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

Last year came the news that the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust were disbanding their collection after their efforts to establish a visitor attraction in the town featuring the trams eventually came to nothing. At the time all seven of the trams under their auspices were made available for other interested parties but so far just one – Trailer Car T7/687 – has departed although there have been expressions of interest for three of the others trams.

Continue reading →

Posted in Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust | 18 Comments

Around the World in Trams: Tallinn 163

Posted on Saturday 26 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

And its off to Tallinn again!

Continue reading →

Posted in Around the World in Trams | Comments Off on Around the World in Trams: Tallinn 163

Seaton Tramway up for more awards!

Posted on Saturday 26 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

Devon’s unique Seaton Tramway is up for not one, not two but three awards in the coming weeks with nominations in two categories at the Devon Tourism Awards and a further nomination at the 2022 Heritage Railway Association Awards.

Continue reading →

Posted in Seaton Tramway | Comments Off on Seaton Tramway up for more awards!

Out and About: A quick call at Saughton

Posted on Saturday 26 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

We’ve headed out of Edinburgh City Centre for today’s edition of “Out and About” as we call at Saughton.

Continue reading →

Posted in Edinburgh Trams, Out and About | Comments Off on Out and About: A quick call at Saughton

In Pictures: Back to the Newhaven end of the Edinburgh Trams extension

Posted on Friday 25 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

We head back to Edinburgh in this latest pictorial construction update. This time we are at the Newhaven end of the Trams to Newhaven project as we see recent progress on the works at Leith Docks, Ocean Drive and Melrose Drive.

Continue reading →

Posted in Edinburgh Trams | Comments Off on In Pictures: Back to the Newhaven end of the Edinburgh Trams extension

Another financial settlement for Transport for London – but it still only goes to June

Posted on Friday 25 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

The Department for Transport and Transport for London have come to agreement on a new financial settlement which brings the total support for TfL from central government since the start of pandemic close to £5 billion. However, it is still not the long-term settlement that TfL had been hoping for with the government saying any longer term deal is dependent on the Mayor of London and TfL’s cooperation on making the organisation financially sustainable.

Continue reading →

Posted in Docklands Light Railway, London Trams | Comments Off on Another financial settlement for Transport for London – but it still only goes to June

Picture in Time: Midland Metro 05

Posted on Friday 25 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

One final image from Midland Metro before “Picture in Time” moves location again.

Continue reading →

Posted in Picture in Time, West Midlands Metro | Comments Off on Picture in Time: Midland Metro 05

In Pictures: Points problems at MediaCityUK

Posted on Thursday 24 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

There have recently been problems for trams running between Eccles and Ashton-under-Lyne with them being unable to access the MediaCityUK spur owing to a fault with the points. This has meant services were running directly between Broadway and Harbour City and not serving MediaCityUK in that direction only – those running from Ashton to Eccles were still able to run onto the spur. This article shows the relatively rare sight of points having to be manually changed with Jim Smythe supplying the images.

Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | Comments Off on In Pictures: Points problems at MediaCityUK

Manx Electric Railway Society call on Tynwald to honour decision to build full horse tramway

Posted on Thursday 24 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

The Manx Electric Railway Society – a group with the express purpose of protecting and promoting the retention and development of not only the MER but also other tramways on the island at a reasonable cost – have called on members of the Isle of Man’s parliament, Tynwald, to honour the previous decision to build the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway all the way to the Sea Terminal again. As we’ve seen the line is set to reopen at some point in 2022 but only from Derby Castle to the War Memorial with the remaining section not only being unavailable for this year but also for many years to come – if ever again.

Continue reading →

Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway | 1 Comment

WMCA budget approved for West Midlands Metro extensions

Posted on Thursday 24 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

The latest West Midlands Metro Combined Authority’s (WMCA) budget for 2022/23 has been approved with £379 million of the total £879.2 million due to be spent on transport – including West Midlands Metro extensions.

Continue reading →

Posted in West Midlands Metro | Comments Off on WMCA budget approved for West Midlands Metro extensions

In Pictures: 3 tram service at Beamish as Front Street Terrace opens

Posted on Wednesday 23 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

The new Front Street Terrace – part of the new 1950s Town at Beamish – was officially opened on Saturday 19th February. Although the trams will not be running into the 1950s Town (eventually a trolleybus route is planned), the grand opening day of Front Street did see a three tram service in operation – thought to be the first time since at least March 2020 that three trams have been in public service at Beamish at the same time.

Continue reading →

Posted in Beamish Tramway | 1 Comment