In Pictures: Little progress to show at Wilko’s

Its looking likely that there will be little to show on progress of the Blackpool Tramway extension for some time with a lot of focus on the overall Talbot Gateway project currently on the construction of the hotel and removing the High Street pedestrian walkway. This article takes a look at the current scene of the tramway infrastructure on the former Wilko’s site close to Blackpool North Railway Station.

Looking along the line as you go through the “front door” of Wilko’s. Track in place, concrete surface completed, overhead poles erected and wire installed.

The reverse view of the tracks heading out of Wilko’s.

Here we look as the tracks curve round on the approach to the tramstop. Top right you can see the latest level of the hotel being built.

Nestled in between the buildings is the new tram terminus. Who knows within the next 12 months it may even have a tram standing at it! (Photographs x4 by Tony Armitage, 16th January 2022)

A close-up view of the terminus platform with a newly installed white column. (Photograph by Peter Dockerty, 18th January 2022)

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3 Responses to In Pictures: Little progress to show at Wilko’s

  1. Nigel Pennick says:

    My prediction some time ago here that the station extensions in Blackpool and Wolverhampton would gather dust in their grooves for years with not a tram on them looks like coming true. Ten years since the original turnouts from the promenade line were laid for the Blackpool line. There used to be a riverside inn in Cambridgeshire called ‘Five Miles From Anywhere, No Hurry’. It looks like extenders of tramways have the same laissez-faire attitude.

  2. johngilbert says:

    Dear Readers, This project must surely, really, take all the honours around for being the slowest (ever?) in its progress from inception to completion. Is this, I ask myself, a record, or just the usual total inability of we British to get anything done quickly? And to give every appearance of not actually caring two pence! True we in this island have the most awful red tape in the entire world – totally willingly. (When we want to things can be different….remember the speed with which that temporary station was built at Whitehaven after floods? Three weeks I think. But that is a one-off; a rarity. Must be something in our genes I suppose.

  3. John1 says:

    Whilst its certainly a long time there were a number of factors all conspired together starting with Wilko refusing to move out!
    I’ve said it many times but it should have had a terminus built on the land in front of Sainsburys – it would have been open long ago and more use (its actually nearer the station!) and could have been extended easier, but to be fair the roads are probably too narrow to go anywhere useful anyway.

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