Monthly Archives: April 2012

Variotram 2555 enters passenger service

Posted on Sunday 22 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

The second of the Variotrams being built for London Tramlink has entered passenger service. 2555 was used in service for the first time on Thursday 12th April running from Therapia Lane to East Croydon and then two circuits of the … Continue reading →

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More Metrolink Delays

Posted on Sunday 22 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

Over the past few weeks there has been several more periods of disruption on the Manchester Metrolink due to tram failures, points failures…and ducks on the track! The Manchester Evening News ran stories on these periods of disruption making it … Continue reading →

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Edinburgh Lib Dems take a risk: vote us in and we will extend tram network

Posted on Sunday 22 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

The Liberal Democrats in Edinburgh seem to have taken a political risk in unveiling plans for extensions to the currently unpopular tram network before it has opened. At the present time the trams are deeply unpopular in the Scottish capital … Continue reading →

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Metrolink Service Performance Update

Posted on Sunday 22 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

The latest service performance statistics on the Manchester Metrolink system have been released on the TfGM Committee website – http://www.transportforgreatermanchestercommittee.gov.uk/download/4348/item_05_metrolink_service_performance. This latest report gives details on periods 9, 10 and 11 between Monday 12th December 2011 and Sunday 4th March … Continue reading →

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In Pictures: Mitcham track doubling

Posted on Sunday 22 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

The first of three planned closures between Mitcham and Mitcham Junction on the Wimbledon line of London Tramlink occurred over the four day Easter weekend. This led to a shuttle service operating every 15 minutes between Mitcham and Wimbledon with … Continue reading →

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In Pictures: Gleadless Townend Trackwork

Posted on Sunday 22 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

Over the Easter weekend there were engineering works on Stagecoach Supertram resulting in revised services and replacement buses. The work was concentrated on the crossover at Gleadless Townend. Click below for photos showing the work undertaken on a very wet … Continue reading →

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Standard 143 on the move again

Posted on Friday 20 April 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Following the announcement that the Lancastrian Transport Trust would be vacating its leased premises at the Brinwell Road industrial site in Blackpool, further negotiations have taken place resulting in this decision being reversed. This means that the trams residing there … Continue reading →

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Metrolink T68 1011 becomes first to be withdrawn

Posted on Thursday 19 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

1011 has become the first of the T68s to be withdrawn from service on Manchester Metrolink after just 20 years service. As has been reported in the past few months following a number of high profile failures in traffic it … Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 1 Comment

Fare increases for Stagecoach Supertram

Posted on Thursday 19 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

From the start of service on Monday 30th April there will be some fare increases on Stagecoach Supertram with the £2.10 single fare increasing to £2.20 and the tram and bus dayrider fare increasing from £3.70 to £3.90. All other … Continue reading →

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DLR service alterations for London Marathon

Posted on Thursday 19 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

This year’s London Marathon will take place on Sunday 22nd April and as a result services on the Docklands Light Railway will be altered to cater for the increased passenger demand. Services from Tower Gateway, Lewisham, Beckton, Stratford and Woolwich … Continue reading →

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NEETT plan a new depot for their fleet

Posted on Wednesday 18 April 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The North Eastern Electrical Traction Trust (NEETT for short) have become the latest tram-related organisation to launch an appeal to fund the construction of a new depot in which to house its collection of trams. The Sunderland-based organisation has enjoyed … Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway, North Eastern Electrical Transport Trust | 3 Comments

TMS owned Boat runs at Blackpool!

Posted on Tuesday 17 April 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The restoration of Blackpool Boat car 236 (latterly known as 607) at Blackpool, ahead of its transfer to Crich for preservation at the National Tramway Museum, is now virtually complete and the tram has been released from the Paint Shop. … Continue reading →

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Blackpool ‘Boat’ 233: the past, present & future

Posted on Tuesday 17 April 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The Lancastrian Transport Trust have a lot to celebrate this month as their preserved Blackpool ‘Boat’ car 233 (ex-605) is now available for regular service in its new home at Beamish, the Living Museum of the North. Following completion of … Continue reading →

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Manchester trams on TV

Posted on Monday 16 April 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Two artefacts from the collection of the Manchester Transport Museum Society appeared on primetime television within a three day period. Although the Society and the heritage tramway at Heaton Park, Manchester were not promoted as such this was nonetheless a … Continue reading →

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Beamish push the Boat out!

Posted on Thursday 12 April 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The Lancastrian Transport Trust’s preserved Blackpool ‘Boat’ car 233 made its passenger debut in its new home at Beamish, the Living Museum of the North, on Thursday 12th April for the first day of the Museum’s annual Great North Steam … Continue reading →

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More Blackpool trams sold

Posted on Wednesday 11 April 2012 by Andrew Waddington

A new player in the British transport preservation movement has stepped in at a crucial time to save some of Blackpool’s unwanted tram fleet. The North Eastern Electrical Traction Trust, who are based in the Sunderland area, have already acquired one … Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway, North Eastern Electrical Transport Trust | 5 Comments

Operating fleet grows at Crich

Posted on Monday 9 April 2012 by Andrew Waddington

With the main opening season now underway following the unwelcome snowfalls of last week, it is pleasing to report that Crich Tramway Village continue to operate more different trams with a total of eleven different cars having run in passenger … Continue reading →

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Next stop, Blackpool North Station?

Posted on Monday 9 April 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Hopes have been raised that the suggested extension of the Blackpool & Fleetwood tramway could be a more realistic prospect than many people had thought, after Blackpool Borough Council announced that a feasibility study is taking place to investigate the possibility … Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 11 Comments

Birkenhead tramway takeover saga continues

Posted on Saturday 7 April 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The long ongoing saga of who will be responsible for the operation of the popular heritage tramway at Birkenhead continues to move forward, albeit painfully slowly. A meeting has recently taken place with a view to further discussions taking place … Continue reading →

Posted in Birkenhead Heritage Tramway | 2 Comments

More old friends return in Blackpool

Posted on Saturday 7 April 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The second day of Blackpool Transport’s new heritage tram coastal tours, Easter Saturday 7th April, saw two more historic trams which had missed the entire 2011 season back in service on the promenade. The chosen cars on this date were … Continue reading →

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