At the start of this year we ran an article on the “race” to extensions opening in Blackpool, Edinburgh and on the West Midlands Metro. Over recent months we’ve had regular updates from Edinburgh (opening 7th June) and the West Midland Metro (work taking place ahead of opening) but what of Blackpool? It has been very quiet, but the start of June has seen a crumb (and just a crumb!) of potential good news…
As you will no doubt be aware the opening of the Blackpool Tramway extension to Blackpool North Railway Station is caught up with the completion of the hotel (a Holiday Inn) and restaurant with it not possible for trams to start running until this is finished. This work seems to have been delayed on more than one occasion which means the testing we saw on the tramway last year (let’s remember it was March 2022 that the first trams moved on the extension and June/July that there was daytime testing) has been to little benefit.
We’ve seen many opening dates come and go and aside from a vague summer 2023 (or September which most of it is in astronomical summer we guess) there hasn’t really been an official word from the Council for when it will start running. Presumably before it does more testing will be needed as well.
The little crumb of good news we teased above is that a big yellow crane which had been used on the construction of the Holiday Inn has recently been dismantled. And that’s as big as the news gets at the moment! It is hopefully progress but it still looks like we have a long way to go and Blackpool is very much going to come third in our race between the three!
The dismantled crane at the old Wilko’s site, soon to be home to a tramway and hotel. (Photograph by Peter Dockerty, 1st June 2023)
Go on You Tube and watch the latest Building Blackpool Better video. The vlogger who records weekly what has been going on at the site said he had been told by a workmen there that Robertson’s expect to be still working on the site at least till Xmas and maybe into next year! Whether trams will run up to the terminus while contractors are still on part of the site maybe possible i guess but maybe not due to health & safety concerns.
Maybe the next extension in Edinburgh will be funded, constructed and operational before the North Station line opens – shades of Charleroi’s never-opened extension. Just how much potential revenue has Blackpool lost in this long (not-yet-ended) delay?
They’ll just about get it finished in time for the closure of the railway to Blackpool because of the irreperable damage done to rail travel by all this strike action.
It totally escapes me why they think there’s enough demand for a tramway to North Station anyway. That’s one of the reasons they closed it last time around! Anyone who can afford to arrive in Blackpool by train isn’t going to lug their suitcase onto a tram and then wheel it across the tracks and the prom to their hotel. No, they’ll put it in one of the billions of taxis lurking in the area and get it delivered right to the door.
Everyone said the upgraded system wouldn’t be used because no ones used the old at the end. They were wrong. Its not only for holidaymakers – lots commute in and out as well as potential passengers using Sainsburys and other amenities. the stupid thing was making it a dead end, it should have terminated outside sainsburys so it could be extended.
Tonight’s Evening Gazette(8th June) reporting Blackpool Council saying technical problems with the hotel cladding have caused a delay which means the site will not now be handed over to the council ” till just before Chistmas” with the hotel taking in guests from April 2024. Sadly it looks like no trams carrying passengers up Talbot Rd till next year.
You should all be aware that the existing tram route(Blackpool/Fleetwood/)Fleetwood/Blackpool)in High Season has been trimmed down from 6 trams per hour to five and now 4 trams per hour.This appears to be a 33%cut in services.Enquiries to Blackpool Council as to why this has happened and what are the actual plans for the extension resulted in an astonishing answer that timetables are still in DRAFT form and are not yet available!This extension was originally mooted around 13 years ago and they cannot produce workable timetables!
I have in my possession an email from Blackpool Council (Information provided by Blackpool Transport) that states they do not have enough trams to service the existing route and the extension(2018!!!)This was an enquiry a Freedom of information request!
The area between Abingdon Street junction and Topping Street junction on Talbot road as well trying to accommodate said tram routes will also have to accommodate 7 different bus routes varying from one bus per hour to three per hour BOTH ways.This is NOT a case of if this crazy scheme will fail but when!
They have done quite well at unintentionally surpressing patronage and generally damaging tramways standing in recent years mind. It is actually quite impressive from afar just how much damage has been done since the MD Trevor Roberts left (who had his critics it has to be said). “Sorry Tram Full” people might think was actual stop been used that much at times! with various servicable trams parked up in shed whilst the choas ensues. Indeed the increasingly glum looking conductors seemed to have given up trying to collect fares and that been slowing getting worse for years. I just had to laugh when the flagship “24 Hour Ticket” was ditched reverting back to how it was.
Perhaps the decision taken by Blackpool Council in relation to Sandcastle been passed to Merlin to operate give an indication of direction of travel. I guess the crucial difference is Sandcastle paid a £900k dividend to Blackpool Council the previous year.. BTS resembles an expensive council toy these days that looks more like a liability than an asset. Only time will tell whether dogmatic politics wins and its retained or pragmatically cut loose and sold. Perhaps intrisically linked to progress with unitary council.
Others did warn that selfies, branding and words would only get company so far and seems its all coming home to roost. The people involved already openly talking about their retirement plans. Indeed the board composition changed markedly recently. Ask yourself why none of big names within Council seemingly want to be involved if things really are “wonderful”, “game changing” and everything is heading in right direction.
The only glimmer of hope is the relatively recently appointed Head of Tramway (CD) always came across as someone capable of steadying a ship and making progress if given opportunity in his previous roles with the company. Only time will tell whether he given the resources he needs to make a difference.
Jack, OBVIOUSLY they do not have timetables formalised. This will be done AFTER ghost running.
They do have enough Trams, there’s 9 B fleet to cover specials etc. Which will have to be used.
I’ve no idea why you think the junction will be a problem, it’s a few extra vehicle movements every hour. It will make zero difference.
There is certainly a capacity issue at the moment with Tram full becoming quite common and an hourly alternative bus which finishes I’m town!
Blame Thatchers privatisation.
Trammy,
I have a copy of the proposed extension timetable dated 25/9/2020 supplied by Blackpool Council/Transport!It is NOT applicable now as the Council have moved the goalposts and cut the existing service by 33%.So much for the promised “Adding to the capacity”
Council/Transport Viz-Not enough trams!NOT my words.
Tram movements crossing and re-crossing the A584 causing massive congestion in Talbot Square and thus over the course of one day depending on the timetable are around 160 based on the original document.I think you’ll find this does make just a little more than zero difference!
Jack, My comment about why there is no timetble still stands. Perhaps you’d like to share your timetables as no one else seems to have seen them. It would be very interesting. How do you think massive congestion will be caused by a Tram passing? It will cause literally seconds of extra wait time while there is an extra phase on the lights. Its bad enough with the stupid single lane shared space now so its really going to make hardly any difference adding a few seconds every 10 minutes or so. We cannot plan public transport around motorists being inconvenienced! My comment about little difference was in reference to you mentioning the Topping Street junction – you did not mention promenade! If Blackpool Council opened their eyes to the fact there is NO realistic southbound alternative to the promenade there wouldn’t be so much traffic.
Perhaps the Council should be asking how fares can be collected when its really busy as one Conductor is strugglibng to cope (I have seen one and 2 so I’m not sure what the norm is now). This needs addressing as literally thousands must be being lost, no wonder thay can’t afford to run extra trams. At the whopping £3.20 fare the coffers would soon build up. It should have been ticket machines and conductors from day 1 – people would still fare dodge but more honest people would buy them.
Trammy.
It is nothing to do with trams “Passing”!It has everything to do with trams crisscrossing the A584(Promenade) around 160 times per day and thus severely affecting the flow of traffic!,
I’m 85 years old,born,bred and lived here all my life.I KNOW Blackpool!I can provide numerous examples of why this extension will fail which over a period of 5 years in contact with Blackpool Council/Transport no individual(All the top brass!) has deemed my comments worthy of any replies.Even more important is the fact that nobody,I repeat nobody has said I’m wrong.One would have thought that at least they would be able to defend themselves!
A DISASTER waiting to happen.Watch this space.Latest opening news 2024!
Fair play to you Jack if you are still driving a car at 85 years of age. However why not let the tram take the strain and hop on board with your free senior citizen travel pass? Trams are the future the future is bright!?
Everyone said the upgrade would fail and its now barely coping with demand.
I’m afraid that however well you believe you know Blackpool you have to realise that things must change and the grip that ‘King Car’ has on transport patterns has to be broken and public transport has a massive part to play in this change. Whilst I have no doubt that the promenade is a busy highway I cannot accept this 160 movements per day will create the problems you suggest. If the corridor between Windmill Street and St Peters Square in Central Manchester including two traffic signal controlled junctions can cope with 35 tram movements per hour in each direction without any significant problems then the number of crossing moves envisaged at Talbot Square should be well within the capacity of the designs.
Hear, hear, Steve! Very well said.
I cannot recall stating I still drive a car(I don’t)!
The Talbot Square/Talbot Road/Promenade junction is recognized as one of the most congested in Blackpool despite several attempts by the Council to solve the problems with no success.Anyone who thinks that adding numerous trams crossing the promenade throughout the day thus adding to the chaos,confusion and congestion is a minor blip appears to be in denial.
What about the fact that they don’t have enough trams anyway?Another fact supplied by Blackpool Transport that other trams will not be used!
Maybe Blackpool Transport could loan a couple of trams from other networks. Surely Manchester has some spares they can afford to let go for a while. Yes a tram loan system like they have in football.?