After what must have been the longest winter timetable in the history of the Blackpool Tramway, here will finally be an increase in frequency of trams from Sunday 26th June. This will mean trams will run every 12 minutes for most of the day instead of the current 15 minute frequency which has been in operation since the illuminations were switched off at the start of January.
The new timetable from Sunday 26th June will run as follows:
Monday-Friday
First tram Starr Gate-Fleetwood – 0500
First tram Fleetwood-Starr Gate – 0605
The 12 minute frequency kicks in from 0700 from Starr Gate (0805 from Fleetwood) and runs all the way until 1800. There are then trams at 1800, 1815, 1830 and 1845 to Fleetwood before alternate trams run only as far as Little Bispham giving a tram every 30 minutes to Fleetwood (every 15 minutes on the Starr Gate-Little Bispham section)
Last tram Star Gate-Fleetwood – 2315
Last tram Fleetwood-Starr Gate – 0020
Saturday
First tram Starr Gate-Fleetwood – 0600
First tram Fleetwood-Starr Gate – 0705
The 12 minute frequency kicks in from 0700 from Starr Gate (0805 from Fleetwood) and runs all the way until 1800. There are then trams at 1800, 1815, 1830 and 1845 to Fleetwood before alternate trams run only as far as Little Bispham giving a tram every 30 minutes to Fleetwood (every 15 minutes on the Starr Gate-Little Bispham section)
Last tram Star Gate-Fleetwood – 2315
Last tram Fleetwood-Starr Gate – 0020
Sunday
First tram Starr Gate-Fleetwood – 0700
First ream Fleetwood-Starr Gate – 0805
The 12 minute frequency kicks in straightaway and runs all the way until 1800. There are then trams at 1800, 1815, 1830 and 1845 to Fleetwood before alternate trams run only as far as Little Bispham giving a tram every 30 minutes to Fleetwood (every 15 minutes on the Starr Gate-Little Bispham section)
Last tram Star Gate-Fleetwood – 2315
Last tram Fleetwood-Starr Gate – 0020
There is the promise that there will be “extra trams running at peak times throughout the summer”, presumably with specials running on the busier Prom section.
- The timetables can be viewed at https://www.blackpooltransport.com/routes/BLAC/Tram?date=2022-06-27&direction=outbound. You need to select direction of travel and date of travel to get the correct timetable. At the time of writing the link to the PDF Timetable Tram is for the current timetable.
Are there enough serviceable cars to support this?
Are we going to see Modified Balloon “specials” again?
5 Trams/hour Starr Gate – Fleetwood requires 11 trams. Believe 16 out of 18 Flexitys currently available.
After that, it depends how many specials you want to run and where you send them.
Assuming you run a special in between every service car, 5 Trams/hour Pleasure Beach – Bispham requires 5 trams so that is the max you could manage leaving no reserve for breakdowns etc.
Plenty of reserves for breakdowns and to cover – the B fleet!
Still finish far too early, what about all the holidaymakers and locals who work until 12 or after? Every other system has later trams! Typical BTS not fulfilling a useful role as usual. TYrams need to continue until c. 12.30 ex SG. Or run buses (and not the silly announced no. 1 that misses these times!)
With respect this is NOT an increase in services as the normal High Season service has been 6 trams per hour(10 mins) which now becomes 5 trams per hour!This is the LAST thing the tram service needs as this 6th tram is probably the part of the overall service which actually allows the system to be in profit!
You make a really good point. Indeed people have previously referenced Service Level Agreement and then Council Leader Cllr Simon Blackburn on record and quoted as saying “at least every 10 minutes” (September 2011). As predicted mind (quite shrewd in hindsight) the vociferous/strong voices stunted as a result of many of them now volunteering (TramTown / BHTT Roles) the tramway lacks a clear voice hence its stumbled from one calamity to the next.
The scheme will also help to provide ADDITIONAL capacity along the promenade which can experience peak crowding!(Monitoring and Evaluation Plan OCT. 2017)Regarding new tramway extension.
I have emails from Freedom Of Information stating that Blackpool Transport does not have enough trams to service BOTH the present Promenade route AND the new extension.According to the FOI the information came from Blackpool Transport!
This appears to be a DOOMED project right from the outset yet it is still being worked on!
Questions to the Council are ignored,
In fairness they have done a cracking job at inadvertently suppressing tramway growth in recent years. Disruption/Truncated Service/Entire Service Suspension /Lack of Trams / Lack of Drivers / Dreadful Timetables. Similarly if the delays continue with extension will the current management even be there by time it opens…