Details have emerged regarding Blackpool Transport’s plans for the operation of its
retained heritage tramcars during 2012 and the years ahead. It was recently announced that Bryan Lindop, a key figure at BTS who is also a well known supporter of the classic tram fleet, will be taking charge of the heritage operation – and details are now filtering through to the enthusiast community about what Bryan has planned. The proposals are very ambitious and look set to exploit the appeal of the old trams to enthusiasts and tourists alike, in fact some of the trams that are staying in Blackpool may be used far more than they have been for many years under this new operating regime!
It is intended to launch the new heritage tram service at Easter, co-inciding with the launch of the new Flexity2 trams. It is expected that 2 cars will operate on a half-hourly frequency between Pleasure Beach and Little Bispham each weekend, but efforts will be made to use different trams on Saturdays and Sundays, to encourage visitors to ride the trams on both days. Even better is to come though, as this service will then operate daily during the summer school holidays and the illuminations period – and it is also anticipated that the frequency will increase for illumination weekends and the busy October half-term week, meaning that more trams will be used each day! This is certainly a lot more than most people had dared hope for, and with this service operating alongside the Flexity 2 trams and modified Balloons (which are considered part of the core fleet and have no connection with the ‘heritage’ service) there should be a great variety of trams to see and ride on at Blackpool this summer.
The heritage fleet will be run as a largely separate operation, despite being owned by Blackpool Transport, and as such these trams will need to earn their keep. It is understood that a £10 fare will be charged for rides on the vintage trams, which will only load and unload at a small number of key stops as they are not compatible with the new platforms. They will therefore be classed as ‘tours’ rather than a public service provision, and so the charge should probably be compared with other tourist attractions. However, the £10 ticket will act as a day pass valid on ‘normal’ trams and buses, as per as the old Travelcards, and so there will be plenty of potential to get good value for money.
So, which trams will operate on the new ‘heritage’ service? Bolton 66 and ‘Princess
Alice’ 706 should both be available for use from the early season, and both will be fitted with transponders salvaged from sold trams. Fleetwood ‘Box’ 40 should also be back in the operational fleet and is expected to receive battery-operated transponders – although according to the Tramway Museum Society negotiations for the loan of this car to be extended are still ongoing! Boat 602 should also return to service from June, thanks to sponsorship from the George Formby Society, and it will join Standard 147, Boat
600 and Ba lloon 717; all of which are already equipped with transponders. It is also believed that all three available illuminated cars will be prepared for service before Easter, with a view to them running throughout the season alongside the vintage cars. The commercial potential of these trams has not been exploited much outside of the autumn for several decades, so this is a very welcome move and will hopefully tempt more people to pay extra to ride on one of these unique trams.
One disappointment is the fact that Coronation 660 is unlikely to run this year, as it
apparently requires some workshop attention before it can return to service; this is expected to happen in 2013. However, there may be a few other surprises to come and although not confirmed, it is strongly believed that at least one of the Twin sets still at Rigby Road may be re-activated for the peak season this year! As this class were not expected to run again in Blackpool, this would be fantastic news for the many fans of these cars, so hopefully this rumour will prove to be true.
The Pleasure Beach to Little Bispham stretch will be the main operating area for the vintage fleet, but hopefully private hires will allow these cars to stretch their legs over the entire system from time to time. Another interesting development is that illumination tours will no longer start from North Pier; instead these tours will start from the Pleasure Beach loop, although it is suspected that they will simply become part of the normal heritage service. Indeed, the £10 day pass will compare favourably with the previous £6 charge for a tour of the lights – ticketholders could potentially ride on all three feature cars in one evening under the new system!
Blackpool Transport have previously taken a lot of criticism from tram enthusiasts
regarding their disposal of historic vehicles, but this exciting news is a real positive step forwards and we wish them all possible success with this venture. Readers of this website are encouraged to support the heritage tram operation, as BTS is of course a business that needs to make a profit, and so the success or failure of this year’s service could have good or bad implications for the long-term future of vintage trams in Blackpool. For 2012 however, it’s certainly looking good for the tramway and of course British Trams Online
will be providing plenty of coverage over the course of the year ahead, including the start of the ‘new’ tramway at Easter, as well as the first illuminations season within the new era.