Blackpool Transport introduce new heritage ‘mini-tours’

In yet another drive to encourage extra patronage on the heritage tram coastal tours, Blackpool Transport have revealed that another ticketing option will be made available on these trips during 2013. Customers will now have the option of a return journey between Pleasure Beach and North Pier only, at a reduced price.

When the tours were first introduced a year ago, many would-be passengers complained about the £10 fare of a day pass to ride on not only the heritage fleet, but also the normal service trams and buses. Therefore, another option was introduced offering the choice of one return trip for just £5, or £3 for children. Now in 2013, another new ticket will be available – passengers can enjoy one return journey along the main promenade section of tramway, i.e. Pleasure Beach to North Pier and back, or vice versa. It will of course be possible to break the journey at each end and return on a different tram, giving good value for money to tourists who merely wish to enjoy a brief taste of nostalgia as part of the overall Blackpool experience.

The mini-tour tickets are priced at £2.50 for adults and £2.00 for chilrden – and it is hoped that this new venture will help to stabilise a viable future for the operation of these tours in the long-term future. To supplement the two tour cars, an extra two heritage trams are rostered to operate on each of the four days over the long Easter Bank Holiday weekend, and these cars are expected to mainly work between Pleasure Beach and North Pier to encourage more short riders. This also means that for £10, enthusiasts can ride on four different vintage trams all day, as well as the normal fleet.

A full timetable for the heritage tram services to operate over Easter is now available here: http://www.blackpooltransport.com/HeritageTimetables.aspx The Blackpool Transport website also provides detailed information on most aspects of the revised heritage tram operation, including provisional dates for the appearances of certain vehicles during May, including a special one-off outing for Centenary car 642 and the re-launch of Brush car 631 (as reported elsewhere on this site).