There we go, another year comes to an end! They just keep on ticking by don’t they?! Its been a year where things haven’t quite happened as expected with tram restorations not quite being completed in time and extensions not opening as planned (and systems even closing for long periods of time) but there have still been some highlights across both the heritage and modern sectors.
We have seen the East Anglia Transport Museum acquiring not one, not two but three Blackpool trams as work continues on their expansion whilst down at the Seaton Tramway two new halts opened in August giving better access to the Seaton Wetlands nature reserve as well as giving us enthusiasts more locations for photos! There have also been excellent events across the British Isles with three events on the Isle of Man (including the return to action of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway!), the spectacular Tram Parade in Blackpool for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee plus another excellent Tram Day at the Crich Tramway Village.
Modern tramway wise one of the highlights was the eventual opening of phase two of the Birmingham Westside extension to Edgbaston Village on the West Midlands Metro (although the hoped for opening to Wolverhampton Railway Station didn’t happen) with Manchester Metrolink welcoming the last of their M5000 deliveries giving them a fleet of 147 trams for the first time (not that all are serviceable at any one time).
It has been a challenging year at times to keep this website updated but hopefully we have managed it most of the time – albeit a bit later than planned at times! – and that you have enjoyed what we have given you over the past 12 months. A huge thank you to all our contributors – remember without you there would in all likelihood be no British Trams Online!
I’ll take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you in 2023!
- The British Trams Online “offices” will be closed until early 2023. Please do keep emailing us and we will get respond as soon as possible in the new year. Updates of the website should continue on a daily basis throughout the Christmas/New Year period (the joys of being able to schedule them!) with our three birthday celebration photo series (“The Number 20”, “Crich Photo line-ups” and “15 Years Apart” all continuing on rotation).
Enjoy your break.
Big Thank You for all your work this year?
Best wishes Gareth to you and yours for Christmas 2022 and the New Year. Thanks for all you do in maintaining this excellent web site. It can’t be easy, updating it day in and day out, but it is appreciated by myself and countless other enthusiasts. A massive thank you !.
And many thanks from me as well, Gareth
Thank you, Gareth, for all your hard work in 2022, resulting in a most enjoyable, informative blog; more (electric) power to your elbow in 2023!
Nollick Ghennal ort, as Blein Vie Noa (Manx Gaelic for “Merry Christmas to you and a good New Year”.)
Happy Christmas Gareth and all of your readers!
This wonderful treasure trove of tram related material remains my first port of call whenever I switch on the computer. Many thanks for all of your efforts, rest assured that it is very much appreciated!
Here’s to a good year ahead with lots of exciting tram related events and activities.
Merry Christmas and thanks for the work you do in maintaining your excellent site. Always a pleasure to visit!
I would like to say THANK YOU to the production team and contributors all of which make old and new trams around the world live.
Whilst not visiting many tram facilities your efforts will have a large impact on the number of users and the future support gained.
A well deserved break and a very big applause
Thankyou Gareth for all the great work over the years. Your website is an essential and unsurpassed record of contemporary British tramways. The best.
Happy New Year Gareth and thank you for your British Trams on Line News and your Facebook sites. I look at them every day.