The winners of the British Trams Online Tram of the Year 2022 contest can today be revealed – and its been a good year for the East Anglia Transport Museum who go home with two of the four awards! They received the most votes as both “Tramway of the Year” and Blackpool Standard 159 was the most popular nominee for “Tram (Traditional) of the Year”. The Blackpool Tramway also had a good year in the contest with the Jubilee Tram Parade winning “Event of the Year” and Blackpool Flexity2 011 being named “Tram (Modern) of the Year”.
As with other recent Tram of the Year contests in truth it wasn’t too competitive with the exception of “Tram (Modern) of the Year” which was just separated by six votes. In the end Blackpool Flexity2 011 received 45% of the vote in recognition of its bright and cheerful vinyl wrap livery for Mazuma Mobile unveiled in September. It beat Manchester Metrolink 3147 (the last of the M5000s to be delivered to Manchester) to the title with West Midlands Metro 42 then coming in third.
Blackpool can also celebrate “Event of the Year” with the Jubilee Tram Parade in June receiving 42% of the votes as it came in first ahead of Crich’s Tram Day and the Isle of Man Summer Transport Festival. The Parade saw 13 trams run from Pleasure Beach to Little Bispham to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee – including a debut for Balloon 723 in a new coat of 1990s green and cream fleet livery.
But it’s the East Anglia Transport Museum who can celebrate the “big two” awards. The original category “Tram (Traditional) of the Year went to Blackpool Standard 159 which got 52% of the total votes received in this category. The Standard Car had received works attention over the winter and returned to action at the museum, settling back into regular use and even receiving decorations to commemorate both anniversaries at the museum and then Christmas. Second place in this category went to Blackpool Balloon 715 with London Transport 1622 in third and Blackpool Balloon 700 was fourth.
The ”Tramway of the Year” category was, in truth, never in doubt with the East Anglia Transport receiving 83% of all the votes! 152 of you decided it deserved the accolade with 2022 seeing the museum acquire three more trams (all from Blackpool) as work continued on its expansion with the new tram depot being built – and its even had its first residents move in already! The second place tramway for 2022 was the Seaton Tramway which had seen two new stops added in August 2022.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote and well done to all the winners!
The Results
Tram (Traditional) of the Year
Blackpool Standard 159 – 72 votes (52.55%)
Blackpool Balloon 715 – 41 votes (29.93%)
London Transport 1622 – 37 votes (27.01%)
Blackpool Balloon 700 – 24 votes (17.52%)
9 votes rejected due to multiple votes (caused no change to ranking)
Tram (Modern) of the Year
Blackpool Tramway 011 – 64 votes (45.07%)
Manchester Metrolink 3147 – 58 votes (40.85%)
West Midlands Metro 42 – 20 votes (14.08%)
6 votes rejected due to multiple votes (caused no change to ranking)
Tramway of the Year
East Anglia Transport Museum – 152 votes (83.52%)
Seaton Tramway – 30 votes (16.48%)
9 votes rejected due to multiple votes (caused no change to ranking)
Event of the Year
Blackpool Tramway: Jubilee Tram Parade – 65 votes (42.21%)
Crich Tramway Village: Tram Day – 51 votes (33.12%)
Isle of Man: Summer Transport Festival – 38 votes (24.68%)
6 votes rejected due to multiple votes (caused no change to ranking)
Votes received from the same IP address are considered a multiple vote. In these cases the first set of votes are accepted with all subsequent votes removed from the final rankings.
The East Anglia Transport Museum have double the reason to celebrate with this tram, Blackpool Standard 159, winning “Tram (Traditional) of the Year” as the museum also walked away with “Tramway of the Year”. On 18th December 2022 we see 159 in the woods at the museum during the Ride the Lights event. (Photograph by Bryan Grint, 18th December 2022)
Thanks to this advert which was added to the tram in September 2022, Blackpool Flexity2 011 has been named “Tram (Modern) of the Year”. One of the more colourful and pleasing designs seen on a modern tram in recent years we spot the tram here arriving at Bispham on 23rd September 2022. (Photograph by Gareth Prior, 23rd September 2022)
The Jubilee Tram Parade which took place in Blackpool on 2nd June 2022 was the most popular “Event of the Year”. One of the 13 trams to be included during the Parade – which ran from Pleasure Beach to Little Bispham was Boat 227 which we see here having just come around the Metropole Hotel with the northbound leg of the Parade. (Photograph by Gareth Prior, 2nd June 2023)