There was further disruption on the Blackpool Tramway on Friday 29th October following a major RTC involving a van and a motorbike at Sandhurst Avenue which required an air ambulance to attend the scene. This led to a split service being operated and also affected heritage tram services as well.
The accident happed at approximately 1130 close to the Sandhurst Avenue tramstop (the first stop north of Bispham) and saw the motorcyclist taken to the Royal Preston Hospital with serious injuries. The impact of the accident was such that the concrete fencing protecting the tramway was destroyed.
Whilst emergency services dealt with the accident the core tram service ran in two halves: Starr Gate to Bispham and Little Bispham to Fleetwood Ferry. A through service was able to resume from shortly after 1530 but the southbound stop at Sandhurst Avenue remained closed whilst the area was made safe.
With heritage trams also running on this day they also had to operate a restricted service. This meant the Promenade Tour had to turn at Bispham instead of Little Bispham whilst for the Coastal Tour (which usually runs all the way through to Fleetwood) they had to use a bit on ingenuity with the tram – which was Balloon 723, no commissioned for use again – running North Pier and Tower-Bispham-Pleasure Beach-North Pier and Tower-Bispham-Pleasure Beach-North Pier and Tower to make up the fact it couldn’t run to Fleetwood.