As we’ve reported previously the weekend of Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th September will see a special Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours event take place including the return of hop-on/hop-off tours for the first time since March 2020. There are also pre-bookable depot tours, trams on displays on Blundell Street, a shop tram and heritage bus tours too. This short preview hopefully gives you a bit more information of what is happening during the weekend.
Heritage Tram Tours
A timetable has been published which confirms that 6 trams are due to be in service each day running various journeys along the length of the Blackpool Tramway. The timetable can be viewed on the Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BlackpoolHeritageTramTours/photos/gm.226449309499630/6172188529519567.
The first tour each day will be 1028 from Tower and North Pier to Thornton Gate with the final tour each day a 1655 from Fleetwood to Tower and North Pier. Whilst most of the trips being run are exclusively turn-up and go there are a number highlighted in green on the linked timetable which have been available for pre-booking and anyone who has pre-purchased tickets will understandably be given priority for these.
Heritage Day tickets will be available at £15 for adults and £7 for children and these will be available on the day on any Blackpool tram and bus or on the Blackpool Transport app (although at the time of writing they are not available on the app). The day tickets allow unlimited travel on all daytime heritage tours plus all modern trams and buses (illumination tours are not included). Round-trip tickets also remain available.
Tram allocations for each day are as follows – subject to the usual caveats:
Saturday 25th September
A – Balloon 715
B – Boat 600
C – Centenary 642
D – Brush 621
E – Bolton 66
F – Illuminated Frigate HMS Blackpool
Sunday 26th September
A – Balloon 700
B – Boat 227
C – Centenary 642
D – Brush 631
E – Bolton 66
F – Western Train 733+734
Heritage Bus Tours
There will be two bus tours each day departing from Blundell Street:
- Bus100 Revisted: To Thornton via the original bus route from Cleveleys to Thornton. Departs 1100 on Saturday, 1200 on Sunday.
- Lytham St Annes Tour: Follows the old tram route along Lytham Road to Squires Gate, the site of the old Lytham St Annes Corporation Tram Depot, then along the route of the tram line to Lytham passing through St Annes. The tour returns via the Promenade, past Fairhaven Lake and St Annes Pier.
Bus tours cost £4 for adults and £2 for children. Pre-booking is encouraged with more details on how to do this at https://blackpoolheritage.com/heritage-anniversary-weekend-events/
Heritage Depot Guided Tours
Tours of Rigby Road Depot will take place at 1300 and 1430 on both days. Taking 75 minutes with two expert guides places are strictly limited to 15 and must be pre-booked. Cost £5 for adults, £2.50 for children.
- To book visit the Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours website at https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/blackpoolheritage/items/332200/?full-items=yes&flow=no&u=34b9f052-2edb-461b-8262-31a418c1805f&from-ssl=yes&back=https://blackpoolheritage.com/heritage-anniversary-weekend-events/ (at the time of writing the 1430 tour on Saturday 25th has sold out)
All being well British Trams Online should be at the event and we will be posting “almost as it happens” photo updates to our Facebook page which can be found at http://www.facebook.com/BritishTramsOnline