The snail like progress on work for the Blackpool North Railway Station extension of the Blackpool Tramway has continued in recent weeks. Work on the former Wilko’s site – which will be home to the tramway terminus – has now also seemingly stalled (as well as the overhead installation) with the only really visible progress recently being on the new hotel and restaurant. To show what has been happening over the past few weeks – or not – these photos from Tony Armitage give an update and maybe someone out there may be able to play spot the difference!
The “classic” shot into the site towards the scissors crossover. More concreting – or tarmacking – is required here with little have changed for several weeks.
Looking back the other way and we see the scissors crossover from a different angle here.
The structure of the hotel and restaurant is starting to progress as seen in the background here. Also visible in front are the tracks leading to the actual terminus. (All Photographs by Tony Armitage, 15th October 2021)
Will this line open next year, ten years after the promenade line junction was laid for it? Like the Wolverhampton Station extension with part of the track finished for a long time and the terminal section taking an age to finish. Not quite as long a wait as the Brierley Hill extension, authorized in 1989 and just under construction now. None of this glacial slowness bodes well for decarbonization of transport in the time-scale stated by the government.
Obviously the overhead work has stopped for the duration of the illuminations! No one with any common sense would think otherwise. I would suspect little point in doing more while the hotel is being constructed anyway.