The Blackpool Tramway will be running to a revised timetable from Sunday 30th October. Despite the Illuminations continuing to shine until the start of January 2023, Blackpool Transport believe that the enhanced evening service frequency is no longer required and so from this date it will be a 15 minute frequency during the day and evening – the one difference being that evenings only see every other tram travelling all the way through to Fleetwood with intermediate trams turning at Little Bispham.
In the article posted on the Blackpool Transport website it states: “We’ve made these changes to match the level of demand we see at this time of year, using current and previous year’s data. We know that freeing up much-needed resources will assist us in operating a reliable tram network going into the Christmas and New Year periods.”
As with most public transport networks in the country, Blackpool Transport continue to have staff shortages and recent weeks have seen the return of service cancellations. Its hoped that this revised timetable, which will obviously require fewer crew, will reduce this occurrence for the rest of 2022.
The daytime timetable remains completed unchanged with first tram off Star Gate at 0500 Monday to Friday, 0600 Saturday and 0700 Sunday. The 15 minute frequency then kicks in from 0800. From 1800 is where the change comes in with trams continuing to be every 15 minutes instead of every 7/8 minutes. Trams from Starr Gate on the hour and half hour run to Fleetwood with those at 15 and 45 turning at Little Bispham. The final tram to Fleetwood remains at 2315.
From Fleetwood its first tram back to Starr Gate at 0605 Monday to Friday, 0705 Saturday and 0805 Sunday. The final tram from Fleetwood will be at 0020 – back at Starr Gate 0118.
The Illuminations will continue to shine until 3rd January 2023. Christmas by the Sea also starts on 19th November and runs until 3rd January 2023. Both events could see extra visitors in the town but the 15 minute frequency service will have to be enough to cater for those who do visit Blackpool.
So what month next year can we expect to see services timetabled up Talbot Rd to new the tram terminus/hotel complex? Tracks and platforms in place just waiting for the hotel to be finished and that big crane to depart. Most of the outside hotel building work seems to have been completed except for a small extension still under construction. Recent video by Blackpool Building Better on You Tube shows that the underpass walls and ceiling have been done.Some Tarmacking of the area to the left of the tracks where some car park spaces may possibly be needs doing as well. Maybe March/ April 2023 before the trams roll up there?
lazzer you will have to wait and see like the rest of us. Once the area is handed back over fully there will be ghost running and driver familiarisation. If all goes to current plan (!) it was last said that would be around April.