Sadly, Blackpool Transport’s heritage tram tours have endured further disruption during the week commencing Monday 6th August. After operating a single tram instead of the usual two for the first three days of the week, the tours will not run at all on Thursday 9th or Friday 10th August.
Once again, the cancellation of the heritage trams is being blamed on ‘operational difficulties’ – i.e. Blackpool Transport do not have enough staff and have therefore opted to rob the heritage trams of their crews to man the core service trams. At least on this occasion, the cancellation has been advertised beforehand and will allow anyone who had planned to ride the vintage trams on either day to make alternative plans. That said, this will not be much comfort to anyone who has already arranged to travel to Blackpool to ride on the heritage tram tours. Hopefully, notices will be clearly displayed at all of the special ‘heritage’ tram stops informing potential customers that the trams are not running, to ensure that nobody is left waiting for a tram that will not come!
The three days this week that have been blessed with a heritage tram presence have also been somewhat disapointing with just one tram appearing each day. On Monday 6th August, the sole car was Brush Railcoach 631 whilst restored Balloon car 717 did the honours on Tuesday 7th. Bizarrely, modified Balloon car 700 was chosen for the tours on Wednesday 8th. Having been rebuilt with widened centre entrances and painted in the new Flexity-style purple and white fleet livery, 700 is considered a ‘B’ fleet car meaning that it is intended for use on the normal service to supplement the new trams. The choice of this tram, which was out in ordinary service, as the only car on a premium-price tour aimed at tourists was therefore a strange one and, whilst it was nice to see 700 out, this will do little to encourage those with a casual interest in trams to part with their hard-earned cash.
On a more positive note, work on repainting Twin Set 672+682 into a heritage style livery is now well advanced, with towing car 672 recently spotted at the front of Rigby Road depot having spent a lengthy spell inside the Electrical Compound where the body has been rubbed down. It has since entered the Paint Shop, and the duo should be ready for use during the busy illuminations season when they are bound to prove popular with tram enthusiasts who visit Blackpool at this time of the year.
I was in Blackpool last week and rode on 700.I saw no signs at heritage tram stops telling potential passengers that there was a restricted service or no heritage trams at all. But it was not obvious on any day that any were running. I consider myself lucky that I got a chance to ride on 700 as the interior of the upper deck at least is certainly vintage. Unfortunately, Blackpool omitted the opportunity to have real-time dispays at tram stops when they were upgraded, and it is disconcerting to stand at a light rail stop and have no information on when the next tram will come, when this is available even at bus stops in many cities.
Yes, absence of real-time information on what is supposed to be an up-to-date modern transport system is a very serious omission, especially when the service is disrupted, and once passengers have been stung waiting at stops with no service and no information they are unlikely to come back for more.
I’m afraid that the same negative comment must apply to many (most?) stops on Manchester Metrolink, Piccadilly and Piccadilly Gardens being particularly glaring examples. When I visited recently, the scenes on the platform at Piccadilly undercroft can only be described as an ‘omnishambles’. Does anyone know whether the operators plan to rectify this omission?
I believe that as part of the new signalling system an enhanced passenger information system will be installed across the Metrolink network. This will include screens near to the current Mosley Street stop to guide passengers to the correct stop for the next tram.
With regard to the info screens for Mosley Street, I wonder how many passengers will set off for the appropriate stop according to the info, only for the tram to arrive and depart while they’re still on their way. Or will it be set up to account for this?
I thought all Metrolink stops had screens advising how long the next tram will be. Is this not the case, or are they not keeping the information current on them?
Very disappointed to see modern trams running at Blackpool……. Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham, yes,… great,…. & very functional, but how does it work in Blackpool. How about tearing down the second rate pier too….. thats vintage!! Without wishing to sound sentimental for the sake of it….red phone boxes, Routemaster buses, Blackpool’s trams, these are things we are proud of historically….so why do we get rid?….. I won’t be visiting Blackpool again……
what Planet does he come off, but the modern trams are better for the disabled, try getting in on and off the old trams with a gamey leg, i have done it, not very easy, the new trams are very easy to get on and of, and they look very nice and very nice to ride in, i am glad that Blackpool as been brought up to date, the old Trams are for them like to see what it was like in the olden days, michael get up to date.
To be honest the new trams are only disabled friendly because of the platforms at the stops, the same could have been provided for the old trams at much less cost, and they could have been modified to reduce or remove the internal steps into the saloons. Or they could have chosen trams that were the same width as the old ones and the platforms would then have been suitable for both. The new trams are very nice but replacing sixty or seventy old trams with sixteen new ones doesn’t seem very good. It’s no good having disabled friendly trams if you can’t get the wheelchair on because the tram is so crowded!
Flipping eck drove all the way from Nottingham with our girt who’s from Devon and as never been to blackpool and was looking forward more then anything for a ride upstairs on a blackpool tram… Well how guttered were we….. More or less same bloody trams as we’ve got back home…. Infact could have saved me money and rode round Nottingham!!!….. Sad they are Blackpool like the tower…..we wont be rushing back