In Pictures: M5000 3103 enters service as 3104 arrives

Posted on Monday 21 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

There has been more movement with the M5000s on Manchester Metrolink with 3103 – which seemingly snuck into Manchester without us noticing! – entering service on Saturday 19th September running as part of a double unit on the Eccles route. Meanwhile the same day saw 3104 delivered to Queens Road Depot for a start to be made on its own commissioning and mileage accumulation ahead of an entry into service.

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Norbreck North tramstop will return

Posted on Monday 21 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

Blackpool Council have confirmed that a new tramstop will be built at Norbreck North following an extensive campaign by local residents following the removal of a stop at this location as part of the upgrade of the tramway. Local residents and councillors had claimed that the removal of this stop caused them great inconvenience as there was a 1km gap between stops at Norbreck and Little Bispham.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 10 Comments

Metrolink’s Airport line wins award

Posted on Monday 21 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

Manchester Metrolink’s Airport line has won the “Civil Engineering Achievement of the Year” award at the annual National Rail Awards which took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London last week. The Airport line – which is the latest part of the Metrolink jigsaw to be in place – was praised for opening a year ahead of schedule as well as for having strong environmental management and had engaged and communicated effectively with communities.

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Minor timetable changes for Supertram

Posted on Monday 21 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

A new timetable will be introduced on Stagecoach Supertram from Monday 5th October although only passengers who travel in the early mornings will notice any difference. Three services on the Blue route will be removed with two additional journeys being introduced on the Yellow route. The aim is to increase capacity from Middlewood in the morning peak and follows a review by Supertram to see how they can best serve all passengers on the network.

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Enhanced services for Midland Metro on Sunday 27th September

Posted on Monday 21 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

Services across the Midland Metro network will run at increased frequencies between 0800 and 1800 on Sunday 27th September to cater for the number of people expected to be in the area for the Birmingham Weekender entertainment event. Trams will run every 8 minutes from 0800 until 1800 and then every 15 minutes from then until the end of service.

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Static trams, bus tours and more announced for Blackpool 130

Posted on Sunday 20 September 2015 by Andrew Waddington

It is now less than a week to go until what is probably the most anticipated tram event of the year – the weekend celebration of the Blackpool tramway’s 130th anniversary. Most of what is going to happen is already well known with an intensive heritage tram service, guided depot tours and vintage bus trips amongst the many highlights, but now even more detail has been revealed about what we can look forward to on 26th & 27th September.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 11 Comments

Crich pull out all the open tops for ‘TMS 60’

Posted on Sunday 20 September 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The annual Enthusiasts Day at Crich Tramway Village on Saturday 19th September 2015 was an extra special event, celebrating 60 years since the formation of the Tramway Museum Society. As well as the usual intensive tram service an exciting programme of events was planned with the museum’s impressive and varied collection of open top tramcars taking centre stage. Add in a tram launch, an old friend making a one-off appearance in service and plenty of sunshine and you have a fantastic day of tram action!

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Picture in Time: Croydon Tramlink 2537

Posted on Sunday 20 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

Today Picture in Time finds itself in the capital city as we head to Croydon Tramlink again for a view of a tram in the early days of the system. The tram in question is CR4000 2537 and the date is day one of the Beckenham Junction route – 23rd May 2000.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Hovertram 735

Posted on Friday 18 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

We are back with the Illuminated Trams of Blackpool for our latest Picture in Time image and this time the tram featuring is the Hovertram 735 which is seen at rest in the depot in 1973.

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This week on British Trams Online…

Posted on Thursday 17 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

An earlier than usual update this week as we go back five years for a Photo Gallery from the Blackpool 125th Anniversary events week:

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Centenary 641 prepares for Pleasure Beach debut

Posted on Thursday 17 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

It may be slightly later than originally planned – as so often happens with a new signing – but the Blackpool FC Celebration Tram is now in situ alongside Pleasure Beach loop and will be officially unveiled to the public on Friday 18th September when the full effect of the livery will be seen for the first time. The tram forming the basis of the Celebration Tram is, of course, Blackpool Centenary 641 and over the past few months it has been transformed at the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust’s Wyre Dock storage compound.

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Going for a ride…

Posted on Thursday 17 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

It’s another week and another important weekend for trams with the premier event of the year at the Crich Tramway Village taking place – TMS 60 (incorporating the annual Enthhusiasts’ Day). That will take place on Saturday 19th September and will include the relaunch into service of Liverpool 869, the temporary return to service of Southampton 45 and an open top tram line-up including, hopefully, some very rare trams indeed (so its fingers crossed for decent weather!) Elsewhere we are now down to 12 operating tramways following the closure of the Douglas Horse Tramway but there will surely be something to interest you if you look harder enough. Keep reading if you want to know just where you can go for a ride…

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719 finally makes it to Fleetwood

Posted on Wednesday 16 September 2015 by Andrew Waddington

Tuesday 15th September was, on paper at least, another normal day on the Blackpool tramway. Of course, in recent times, and much like the ‘good old days’ before the tramway was modernised into a light rail system, there doesn’t seem to be such a thing as ‘normal’ in Blackpool, and so it was on this day when all three of the operational ‘B Fleet’ Balloon cars were used in normal service, with one of them making a little piece of history during its brief appearance in traffic.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 1 Comment

In Pictures: 2015 ends for the Douglas Horse Tramway

Posted on Wednesday 16 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

The 2015 season of operation on the Douglas Horse Tramway ended on Sunday 13th September with a special day of events including tram changeovers, static line-ups outside the depot and a mini cavalcade.

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Earlier services for Edinburgh Trams in 6 week trial

Posted on Wednesday 16 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

Edinburgh Trams are going to trial extended service times for a six week period from 19th October to help passengers make earlier flight connections and improve the service provided at Ingliston Park and Ride. The first tram of the day will now leave York Place 29 minutes earlier and from the Airport will be 89 minutes earlier than now.

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NET Citadis to be named Stuart Broad

Posted on Wednesday 16 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

Nottingham Express Transit Citadis 237 is to be named Stuart Broad during a special ceremony at Wilkinson Street Depot on Thursday 17th September. Stuart Broad is a current Nottinghamshire and England cricketer and recently celebrated regaining the Ashes and also achieved his career best bowling figures of 8-15 during the first innings of this year’s Test March at Trent Bridge. As with most of the recent namings the decision to name the tram Stuart Broad came following nominations from the public. This will be the tenth Citadis to receive a name with 216–221, 223, 235 and 236 also having been named.

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Get me there – eventually!

Posted on Wednesday 16 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

It was all supposed to be a new era in paying for travel on Manchester Metrolink (and on other public transport across the area) but get me there (a Manchester version of an Oyster card in effect) hit the stumbling blocks over the summer when Transport for Greater Manchester dumped their chosen supplier from the project. But now a few weeks later TfGM have said that bus and tram passengers could be travelling using the new tickets by the end of the year.

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Picture in Time: Paisley 68

Posted on Tuesday 15 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

For the past few years we have known the featured tram in today’s “Picture in Time” as Glasgow 1068 but the majority of its existence it has been better known as Paisley 68 and that is exactly what the tram was running as in 2007 when running at Crich.

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In Pictures: Liverpool 245 launched back into service

Posted on Monday 14 September 2015 by Gareth Prior

On Saturday 12th September – just two days short of 58 years since the last convoy of trams to run in Liverpool – Liverpool 245 was launched into service at the Birkenhead Heritage Tramway with a suitability lavish event taking place to mark this historic achievement by the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society.

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Wallasey 78 celebrates our Queen

Posted on Monday 14 September 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The Birkenhead heritage tramway’s Wallasey 78 has recently received new period style between-deck signwriting, ‘Loyal greetings to Her Majesty’. This is in recognition of Queen Elizabeth II’s recent remarkable achievement, in becoming the longest-reigning monarch in the history of Great Britain. Its first day in service so adorned was Sunday 12th September.

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