Another day and another pictorial update from Blackpool where the construction of the Talbot Road extension is continuing with good progress having been made in the past couple of weeks. After yesterday’s look at the work where the overhead poles were being erected, the latest update shows the stringing of span wires at Wilko’s. Tony Armitage paid a visit on 10th November for these shots.
There still remains no definite date for the opening of the extension but it is expected that passenger services will start somewhen in 2022 (although we’ve expected services to start at various points in the past couple of years so our expectations and the reality may not be particularly aligned!). At least it now appears that good progress is being made on the construction work which does give some optimism that we are truly in the final stages of trams returning to Blackpool North Railway Station.
Of note is that this week was meant to see continued late evening road closures in the vicinity to allow for the main overhead to continue but this has now been confirmed as cancelled. This would seem to either mean they were expecting last week’s span wire installation to take longer or they were planning to string the main overhead but have now had a change of plan – either way nothing would appear to be happening on Talbot Road for at least a few days with work now having transferred for the overhead contractors into the Wilko’s worksite.
The “classic” shot looking through the entrance to the worksite where we see the recently erected black overhead support poles with span wires now installed.
A closer look into the worksite with the cherry pickers at rest and just visible a span wire affixed to the second pole on the left.
The two cherry pickers are seen again as we also make out more span wires in place.
More span wires are seen here in this view the other way across the site. (All Photographs by Tony Armitage, 10th November 2021)