Photos this week are part of an Around the World in Trams special as we’re off to Budapest:
Photos: Around the World in Trams – Budapest June 2024
There are updates this week to the Edinburgh Trams (photo links), Manchester Metrolink (tram back into service and photo links), South Yorkshire Supertram (photo links) and Tyne & Wear Metro (trains scrapped) Fleet Lists along with the Edinburgh Trams (photo links) and South Yorkshire Supertram (photo links) Advert Lists.
Llandudno Bay can be seen in the background as the stunning views you see from the Great Orme Tramway are nicely illustrated in this photo. This is the lower section of the line with 4 ascending towards Halfway with a good load of passengers enjoying the summer sunshine on 5th August 2024. The tramway will reopen this March. (Photograph by Steven Hughes)
Good morning. This sad news appeared over the week end:
HERITAGE TRAM UPDATE ????????
“We hope to run heritage trams in the Illuminations”
A Blackpool Transport representative stated at the recent meeting of the Fylde Tramway Society that Blackpool Transport hopes the Heritage Trams will be back for the illuminations later this year.
At the meeting they also acknowledged that it was Blackpool Transport’s decision to remove the operation because of outdated practices, not the Office of Rail.
Recent rumours cast further doubts of the return of the heritage tram fleet following the news that the heritage tram engineering staff had been informed they would be made redundant/redeployed into different roles with the organisation. The Blackpool Transport representative all but confirmed this rumour by confirming the organisation will “use subcontractors to work on the heritage fleet in the future”
It seems from this that the last nail has been hammered into the coffin of Blackpool’s Heritage Fleet, and that the suggestions of ORR involvement in the decision to suspend it late last year, on the grounds of concerns about safety, were actually false ones. As to employing sub-contractors to work on the fleet, unless the phrase is simply a euphemism for scrap dealer and dismantle, then I doubt that that was anything more than a smokecreen.
Odd, however, that Ms. Cole lacked the integrity to attend in person to announce what she undoubtedly sees as her moment of triumph, however.
I wonder if the local MP, or Blackpool Council, are aware of this development?
It was never outright mentioned that the decision to stop Heritage was due to ORR, only safety issues were mentioned. These were internal BTS safety issues that had obviously been raised. It is normal that any operating company should review its internal safety procedures and act accordingly BEFORE it needs intervention from the ORR. It was the FaceBook experts that then developed this into something connected to the ORR.
Regarding contractors, if you take the time to read back over several year’s worth of comments, the enthusiasts have been quite scathing of the BTS Heritage engineers over the years. Now suddenly a 180°….
Yet in Ms. Cole’s first statement, she made specific reference to the introduction of ‘advanced safety systems including the Obstacle Detection Assistance System (ODAS) and the Collision and Overspeed Monitoring and Prevention Assistance System (Compass). These technologies are essential to maintaining safety.’
An ORR Spokesman later said ‘ORR has not been involved in Blackpool Transport’s Decision. Heritage Tramways required to assess the risks relating to collision between members of the public and implement any reasonably practical controls identified. This will include line of sight operation. We have not required them to install obstacle detection or overspeed technology.’
At the meeting with FTS, it seems that Cole’s underling confirmed that the decision was hers, and was not influenced by ORR.
I am not interested in what people have said over the years. I am simply concerned about the future of the Heritage Fleet, and more than a little perplexed that BTS are willing to be economical with the truth to get what it seems they seek.
Sub contractors work on all Tramways and on Museum Trams so what’s the issue? They might actually bother to do something unlike the resident heritage Engineers who did very little ever.
One presumes this is for works other than day to day maintenance – brake checks and blocks, bulbs etc as we know Starr Gate can do this.
‘Sub contractors work on all Tramways and on Museum Trams so what’s the issue?’ The issue is that experienced engineers are already employed by BTS, yet the intention is, apparently, to dispose of them in favour of some nebulous group of ‘sub contractors.’ Assuming that such people actually exist, of course.
I fear that, where BTS and the Heritage Fleet are concerned, one would be very unwise to ‘presume’ anything!
Interesting to note that in tonights Lancashire Telegraph Newspaper, in an article about the winners in the Lancashire Tourism Awards for 2024, Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours won ‘Experience of the Year’. This means that they have the opportunity to represent Lancashire in the national ‘Visit England Awards for Excellence 2025’ competition. How will this sit with the current situation at Rigby Road?
Irrelevant surely? the awards are for last year.
Although they won the ‘Experience of the year’ award for 2024, my question is, will they be able to take up the opportunity of representing Lancashire in the ‘Visit England Awards for Excellence 2025’ competition given the current situation with all bar the illuminated trams effectively mothballed?
Of course the awards were for 2024. They were hardly likely to be for 2025, were they?!
Have you actually read my post? In winning the award for ‘Experience of the year 2024’ they now have the opportunity to represent Lancashire in the ‘Visit England Awards for Excellence 2025’ which hasn’t taken place yet. And my question is: How do they hope to do that given the current situation with the Heritage Fleet.
My reply was intended to be to ‘Nick’, not to you, and I entirely agree with the sentiment in the last sentence:- ‘How do they hope to do that given the current situation with the Heritage Fleet.’