Birmingham Eastside Metro extension boosted with extra funding for public realm improvements

Posted on Saturday 29 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

The £227 million extension of the West Midlands Metro to Digbeth – the Birmingham Eastside line running from Bull Street – has received a further boost with news that £15.7 million has been awarded for public realm improvements in Digbeth High Street. This work will be completed as part of the Metro extension works and is said to provide a catalyst for further investment and development.

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Lockdown Walks: Edinburgh Trams 271

Posted on Saturday 29 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

Its time to go out and about for another “Lockdown Walk”, this time round we are back in Edinburgh City Centre.

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3124 enters service in Manchester

Posted on Friday 28 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

It doesn’t usually take long after new trams are spotted out on mileage accumulation for them to enter service and so it has proven to be the case on Manchester Metrolink again with 3124 becoming the 124th M5000 to carry passengers. The tram was allocated to the Ashton-under-Lyne to Eccles service on Wednesday 26th May.

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In Pictures: Further span wires installed in Talbot Square

Posted on Friday 28 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

The slow and steady progress of the overhead installation in Talbot Square has been continuing with further span wires having now been put into place while up at the other end of the Blackpool North Railway Station extension of the tramway the ends of the previously installed tram rails have now exposed which hopefully is a sign further rails are set to be put down in the near future.

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The Polar Express Tram Ride returns to the Seaton Tramway!

Posted on Friday 28 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

When is it too early to mention Christmas? Hopefully not now as the Seaton Tramway have just announced details of the return of the Polar Express Tram Ride which will be running on selected dates between 28th November and 24th December. Having unfortunately had to be cancelled in 2020 this will be a return for this popular seasonal event which is bound to be fun for all the family in the lead up to Christmas.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Coronation 660 & OMO 6

Posted on Friday 28 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

This week’s Blackpool edition of “Picture in Time” takes us back to the spring of 1976 as we again find ourselves on the Prom.

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In Pictures: More tracklaying on Trams to Newhaven project

Posted on Thursday 27 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

Although we saw at the end of last week that the schedule for completing each section of the Trams to Newhaven project has been slightly changed because of delays caused by the pandemic, that doesn’t mean that excellent progress hasn’t continued to be made on the first sections of constriction – far from it! In this latest pictorial update we take a look at the far end of the line at Newhaven, Ocean Drive and Stevedore Place.

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Chance to ride on Seaton Tramway’s Boat Tram!

Posted on Thursday 27 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

Throughout the past year one thing which has proven itself time and time again is how popular Seaton Tramway’s Blackpool Boat type tram, no. 4, is and to cash in further on this popularity it will run some “Boat Tram Specials” on 1st June.

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Stop by Stop Nottingham Express Transit: Toton Lane line – Middle Street

Posted on Thursday 27 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

In this latest edition of “Stop by Stop” we come to Middle Street as we continue our way along Nottingham Express Transit’s line out to Toton Lane.

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In Pictures: West Midlands Metro 40 arrives at Wednesbury

Posted on Wednesday 26 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

The second of the first eight of 21 new third generation Urbos trams for the West Midlands Metro has now arrived at Wednesbury Depot after being transported from Spain on the back of a single low loader. It is believed that this second delivery is no. 40 and joins the previous arrival 39 (which begs the question where is 38!) at the depot.

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In Pictures: Overhead installation work underway in Talbot Square

Posted on Wednesday 26 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

Work on installing overhead wires on the Blackpool Tramway extension to Blackpool North Railway Station has now got underway in Talbot Square. As we reported last weekend, early morning and evening services are being affected during the week for up to three weeks to allow this work to take place with the first evening’s work being on Monday 24th May and now due to continue overnight (except at weekends). Presumably this three week period will only see overhead being installed at the Talbot Square end of the line with the remaining sections to follow over the next few months.

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Still Standing! Holloway Tram Depot, London

Posted on Wednesday 26 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

We are again heading to London for this edition of “Still Standing!” as we take a look at another old tram depot now repurposed for buses.

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Blackpool Transport launch £1 million Crowdfunder to restore Rigby Road Depot

Posted on Tuesday 25 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

Rigby Road Tram Depot – now home to the heritage fleet of trams in Blackpool – has been known to be in a poor state of repair for some time and now to try and remedy this Blackpool Transport have launched a Crowdfunder to raise £1 million to fully retore the historic building to help keep the trams safe and secure for generations to come.

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More short-notice trackworks on West Midlands Metro

Posted on Tuesday 25 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

There will be no tram services from Priestfield to Wolverhampton St George’s on Thursday 27th and Friday 28th May after the late notice announcement of essential trackworks on Bilston Road. This extends a closure of this section of line (as well as that further on from Priestfield to Wednesbury Parkway) from Saturday 29th May until Sunday 6th June for bridge removal works in Bilston.

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Picture in Time: Stagecoach Supertram 105

Posted on Tuesday 25 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

This edition of “Picture in Time” is taking a look at the Stagecoach Supertram system in 1999.

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3126 arrives in Manchester as 3124 and 3125 start mileage accumulation

Posted on Monday 24 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

There has been more progress with the new Manchester Metrolink M5000s in recent days with 3126 having arrived in Manchester as the previous two arrivals – 3124 and 3125 – have broken cover from Queens Road Depot for start to be made on mileage accumulation.

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Early morning Supertram services disrupted

Posted on Monday 24 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

Stagecoach Supertram services suffered a late start on Saturday 22nd May after a car blocked the tracks on the viaduct leading from the Park Square junction towards Hyde Park. This led to a very limited service running from Woodbourn Road to Meadowhall on the Yellow route and Woodbourn Road to Rotherham Parkgate on the Tram-Train route at the start of the day.

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Whatever Happened To? Crich Tramathon 2005 – Glasgow 22

Posted on Monday 24 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

For the next couple of editions “Whatever Happened To?” will be featuring Glasgow trams which ran in passenger service during the Tramathon held at Crich on 12th June 2005. This edition will be Glasgow 22.

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They’ve Run in 2021…

Posted on Monday 24 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

It’s back! With heritage tramways having been running again for over a month this is a combined list of all the heritage trams which have run in service during 2021. Although only a few tramways have run so far we felt it was time to give an update to see the variety which has been in action so far and we will keep this regularly updated throughout the year. As usual this is what we believe to be the complete picture although if you are aware of any errors or omissions please let us know through the usual channels.

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Trams in Video: Seaton Tramway Tram Driving Experience

Posted on Sunday 23 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

Today we head back down to Devon and the Seaton Tramway for footage taken during a Tram Driver Experience back in 2006. With ex-Bournemouth Corporation Tramways tramcar 106, now numbered 16 in the Seaton fleet the tram in charge of the day we see the tram at various locations across the tramway.

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