The Wirral Heritage Tramway has been temporarily closed to allow maintenance works to take place. The news was announced on Thursday 13th April and is with immediate effect although the Museum will remain open until the end of Friday 14th April before it too is closed. Wirral Council – who remain owners of the infrastructure – have been at pains to stress that the closure should only be temporary although no date for a reopening has been mentioned.
There was no indication that the tramway would be closing until it was announced it would but the decision came in preparation for a forthcoming visit by the Office of Road and Rail in the week commencing Monday 17th April. This temporary closure will allow for maintenance work to take place ahead of this visit to ensure that everything is the best possible shape.
The tramway had been continuing to run its reduced route as far as Shore Road with the section down to Woodside Ferry being closed last year due to the state of the track. Presumably as this part of the route is closed it will not form part of the ORR inspection.
In a statement Wirral Borough Council said: “Wirral Transport Museum and Tramway will be temporarily closed to allow for maintenance works to take place. This is ahead of a scheduled inspection by the Office of Rail and Road next week. It is anticipated that the facilities will reopen following that inspection.”