Bombardier confirm Blackpool tram order

Posted on Tuesday 28 June 2016 by Andrew Waddington

Bombardier have confirmed that they are to supply Blackpool with two more of their Flexity tramcars, with delivery expected in autumn 2017. The additional LRVs are being purchased in readiness to provide the increased service which will be needed to serve the proposed extension to North Station via Talbot Road, which it is hoped will be open by 2019. In the meantime, presumably the new trams will provide extra capacity on the existing promenade route and mean that more trams can potentially be used as specials at busy times.

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14 Responses to Bombardier confirm Blackpool tram order

  1. Connor Lowrey says:
    Tuesday 28 June 2016 at 19:17

    Amazing news but I wished that they had used the balloons for the service as they basically sitting around waiting for use!

    • Christopher Callan says:
      Tuesday 28 June 2016 at 22:33

      Even if they wanted to deploy the modified balloons cannot legally (rightly) be deployed in any other way than to augment an existing fully accessible timetabled service. That does not mean they wont get a role. Specials are the name of the game. If passenger numbers continue to rise the case is made more activated B Fleet cars.

    • Paul D says:
      Wednesday 29 June 2016 at 07:56

      How many times does it need repeating – the Balloons will never again be routinely used on timetabled services?

      If there’s one time even the most ardent enthusiast would prefer to see a Flexity over a Balloon, it is when they roll off the train with their heavy suitcases…

      What it may mean for the Balloons is a greater chance if/when any specials run. The proposed North Station services will need more than two trams to run, so if the existing Promenade service levels are maintained there will be less spare Flexities to use on specials.

  2. John says:
    Wednesday 29 June 2016 at 07:53

    For the 1000th time they CANNOT use the Balloons for core service as they are not DDA compliant!

    • Paul says:
      Thursday 30 June 2016 at 09:05

      Surely before a modern tram goes into service they are tested to see if the are DDA Compliant.

      Why not move seats on the lower deck to include a area for pushchairs or wheelchairs.

      • Andrew Waddington says:
        Thursday 30 June 2016 at 15:47

        Have you been on a Balloon before? If you have then you should know there is a step into each saloon, and also a great big staircase in the way – two pretty big hurdles to getting wheelchairs on board!

  3. James palma says:
    Friday 1 July 2016 at 22:19

    Excuse me, i do not like the tone of some responses regarding the balloons and use in passenger service. Why do respondents presume to think everyone knows about dda compliance? I did not, and thought it would be good to see the balloons in use.

    In addition, i have not ridden on a balloon car for 25 years and had forgotten there was a step up in to the saloon. So again, why should that be obvious? It is not.

    Please consider your responses before replying. One of the nice things about this site is being able to ask questions and get educated thought out answers. Not, a response that makes it look like the respondent thinks it is a stupid question. As i say to my students, no question is stupid, you just dont know the answer, hence asking. It is the answer that may be stupid.

    • David Butterworth says:
      Saturday 2 July 2016 at 11:45

      I agree with your comments. Nothing is achieved by submitting abrasive responses to submissions. Some time ago it was pointed out that comments and any responses should be of a friendly nature.

    • Chris says:
      Saturday 2 July 2016 at 12:12

      Appreciate what you say James, but gets frustrating when the same characters ask the same questions repeatedly. The responses start out friendly and polite but do get firmer with each repetition to emphasise the point. Either the education isn’t being taken in or is being deliberately ignored because they don’t like the answer.

      • Ken Walker says:
        Saturday 2 July 2016 at 15:22

        I can think of people who you might justifiably be referring to Chris (can’t we all) and it is as frustrating and tedious having to read the well-earned responses as it is making them when the same people keep saying the same thing, but James makes a valid point that the questions are sometimes asked by newcomers to the site who have joined out of interest and to learn about our tram systems. If their first question gets one of the ‘frustrated’ responses it may well frighten them off asking anything else. We have to bear that in mind. I am in no doubt as are you that some regular contributors enjoy their role as Wind-up Merchants, but we really don’t want to risk upsetting people who might be unwittingly walking into a trap.

  4. John says:
    Tuesday 5 July 2016 at 07:59

    Apologies if my response was abrasive. We do forget that sometimes these posts are people’s first foray onto the site. But please understand we get frustrated as there are certain people who constantly bang on about things even when they have been told in varying levels of politeness! We are guilty of assuming that people on sites such as this have a basic knowledge of Trams and sometimes they don’t. Bear with us – we are only human!

  5. Jack Gledhill says:
    Friday 8 July 2016 at 08:54

    On the latest Flexity trams to be delivered to Blackpool Council will there be provision for luggage(Suitcases etc)?If so how many spaces?If there are no facilities this would create a massive health and safety issue if suitcases were deposited in the aisles!The main reason given for extending the tramway up Talbot Road to the Train station was to enable train passengers(predominantly holiday makers) to virtually step from the train onto the tram then travel on to their chosen hotels.Given that each passenger would be carrying a suitcase or similar this would seem to indicate that to extend this “folly” would be totally irresponsible.I think Flexity trams were not designed to carry luggage,certainly not in large quantities!
    My apologies if this is the wrong site for this subject.1st time I’ve accessed it!

    • Christopher C says:
      Friday 8 July 2016 at 14:54

      Understand a different interior specification is being configured for the additional two car order. Although its pleasing to find an objector who believes they going to be busy. Suspect wont just be holiday makers. Going to have wide range of people (not all with suitcases) using the service. As the gateway itself develops the various Restaurants, Gym, Council Access points and other amenities will flourish.

    • John says:
      Friday 8 July 2016 at 16:27

      As far as I am aware they are the same spec. Therefore they will not have specific luggage areas as more than the two will be used on the service.

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