What’s New on British Trams Online? 3rd October 2021

Posted on Sunday 3 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

We have a small selection of photos from Manchester Metrolink at the start of September this week:

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In Pictures: More construction images from Edinburgh

Posted on Saturday 2 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

Within the next two years it should be possible to take a tram once again along Leith Walk and to Newhaven with the Trams to Newhaven project due to be completed in the early part of 2023 (subject to any unforeseen delays that is). But before we reach that time there remains a significant amount of work to be completed, although to the casual observer there has already been a lot of progress with utility diversions, track laying and platform construction all notable milestones achieved so far. In this latest pictorial update, Mike Haddon provides us with some images at various points of the extension taken in mid-September.

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In Pictures: Manx Electric Railway in September

Posted on Saturday 2 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

The Isle of Man’s Manx Electric Railway (along with the Snaefell Mountain Railway) are coming to the end of another successful season with the last services due to run on Sunday 31st October. Services on both lines are running every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the remainder of the season and for the MER this sees timetable C in operation requiring four car sets per day. In this pictorial update we from Jamie Moran we see some of the trams in service at the start of autumn on Wednesday 29th September 2021.

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Around the World in Trams: Amsterdam 649 & 635

Posted on Saturday 2 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

Its back to Amsterdam for this edition of “Around the World in Trams”.

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In Pictures: New safety measures on West Midlands Metro

Posted on Saturday 2 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

Over the summer new safety measures have been installed at various stops on the West Midlands Metro network. In a similar style to those seen on other UK tram networks – such as the Blackpool Tramway – wood has been placed in between the tracks at the stops while at the end of each stop the angled wood cattle grid type of contraption has also been put in place to prevent anyone deciding to go for a walk along the tracks.

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Out and About: On Nottingham Express Transit

Posted on Saturday 2 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

“Out and About” today takes a trip to the East Midlands as we feature images taken on the Nottingham Express Transit network (and read the article for some links to videos from NET too!).

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In Pictures: West Midlands Metro gets its own Pride Tram

Posted on Friday 1 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

We have seen over the past few years that Manchester Metrolink often gets a Pride Tram to coincide with the Pride event in the city. And now following in Metrolink’s footsteps is the West Midlands Metro with Urbos3 35 receiving some rainbow stripes in the windows of the end section.

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Newcastle 114 starts testing

Posted on Friday 1 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

Its been a long time coming – but then what hasn’t over the past 18 months or so! – but Newcastle 114 has now been reunited with its motors and has started to be testing on the tramway at Beamish as a precursor to it returning to service at some point in the future. You may recall that 114 was taken out of service over the winter 2019/20 period to allow a full overhaul of its motors to take place but before this work could be completed there was the small matter of a global pandemic which has delayed the end of the work.

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Nexus staff take a look at Stadler’s Switzerland plant where new Metro trains will be assembled

Posted on Friday 1 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

A team of staff from Nexus have recently headed over to Switzerland to take a look at Stadler’s St Margrethen plant where the new fleet of trains for the Tyne and Wear Metro are set to be constructed with the first due to arrive in the northeast at the end of 2022. The 8,500 square metre plant was only opened two years ago and is said to be one of the most state of the art manufacturing facilities in Europe.

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Picture in Time: Luas Sandyford Depot

Posted on Friday 1 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

We return to Dublin for this latest edition of “Picture in Time” as we take a look at one of the depots on the network.

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In Pictures: New advert for Edinburgh Trams 262

Posted on Thursday 30 September 2021 by Gareth Prior

Edinburgh Trams 262 has become the latest tram in Edinburgh to return to carrying adverts with it noted in service at the end of September advertising Clearwater Analytics – who are apparently the world’s most trusted and accurate investment, accounting and reporting solution. This is the first advert on the tram since the end of 2019.

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In Pictures: Recent adverts on Metrolink

Posted on Thursday 30 September 2021 by Gareth Prior

Over the past few weeks we have reported on a number of new adverts applied to trams on Manchester Metrolink and now we bring those words to life with some photos showing the new look for some of the trams. Included are 3069 in an advert for IKEA, 3076 in an advert for NOCCO and 3117 advertising Lifebuoy Soap. Geoff Hope with the photos.

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Classic Motorcycle Day returns to Crich – Sunday 3rd October

Posted on Thursday 30 September 2021 by Gareth Prior

Classic Motorcycle Day – one of the more popular events days each year – returns to the Crich Tramway Village on Sunday 3rd October with the 4th annual event taking place combining the passions of vintage trams and classic motorcycles to offer a great family day out.

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In Pictures: Metrolink 3131 arrives at Queens Road Depot

Posted on Wednesday 29 September 2021 by Gareth Prior

Saturday 25th September saw the delivery of Manchester Metrolink’s latest M5000 with 3131 arriving in the city having been transported from Germany via Hull as with all other recent deliveries. 3131 is the eleventh of this new batch of trams to be delivered and will now go through the usual commissioning process.

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In Pictures: Balloon 700 goes back to wartime colours

Posted on Wednesday 29 September 2021 by Gareth Prior

It was due to be the highlight of the Anniversary Weekend in Blackpool – the unveiling of (and possibly the worst kept secret for some time!) Balloon 700 back in the popular Wartime Green and Cream livery it last carried between 1997 and 2009. Unfortunately, a fault meant its debut in public service on Sunday 26th September wasn’t possible but it had still escaped onto the Prom the previous day showing off its new paintwork for a brief Private Hire allowing those in Blackpool to catch sight of the new look tram and to whet the appetite for the future.

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Coroner urges reassessment on automatic tram brakes

Posted on Wednesday 29 September 2021 by Gareth Prior

Sarah Ormond-Walshe, South London senior coroner, who presided over the inquest into the traffic deaths of seven people after a London Tramlink tram left the rails at Sandilands in November 2016, has called on the government to reassess the need for trams to be fitted with automatic braking systems as part of her published findings.

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In Pictures: Latest from Birmingham City Centre

Posted on Tuesday 28 September 2021 by Gareth Prior

The work on laying track in Birmingham City Centre has continued to make good progress over the past week or so with much of the track along Corporation Street now in place with work concentrating now on the curve round to Grand Central and also at the delta junction which will link the current line with the Birmingham Eastside extension.

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West Street closure in Sheffield causes limited Supertram service to Middlewood and Malin Bridge

Posted on Tuesday 28 September 2021 by Gareth Prior

With West Street closed to all through traffic from late on Friday 24th September only a very limited service was able to run on the Blue and Yellow routes the other side of the closure the following morning. One tram was running from Malin Bridge to Shalesmoor whilst one tram was operating on the route from Middlewood to Shalesmoor.

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Planned Metrolink engineering works this October

Posted on Tuesday 28 September 2021 by Gareth Prior

There are to be further engineering works on Manchester Metrolink during October affecting services on the Altrincham, Bury, Rochdale and Airport lines on a couple of Sundays during the month. Works will take place on Sunday 3rd October (Bury line and Victoria Station) and Sunday 17th October (Altrincham line).

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Shortlist revealed for Global Light Rail Awards

Posted on Monday 27 September 2021 by Gareth Prior

Tramways and light rail systems from across the world will be waiting with anticipation for Wednesday 6th October when the results are announced on the Global Light Rail Awards at a glitzy ceremony in London. The shortlist has now been announced with many UK systems in the running for the much sought after awards.

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