We were last on the streets of Southend-on-Sea back in October 2020 when we saw some unearthed tram tracks and now we return there as more has now been discovered during further works in the town.
The latest track has been found in London Road in the centre of the town where the Council are undertaking some works. Around six lengths of track – around six feet long – have been discovered during these works with the steel having been removed from where they have been since April 1942 when the tramway was abandoned during the Second World War.
The tramway in Southend was a 3 foot 6 inch gauge system which ran between 1901 and 1942 before abandonment of the final route came. At the time one of the reasons given for the abandonment was the requirement for the tracks to be used as scrap metal although evidently that wasn’t the case everywhere judging by the amount which keeps getting found under the surface during routine works in the town.
The discovered sections of track are seen here. (Photograph by Ian Banks, 12th July 2021)