With the Blackpool Tramway currently still being in its winter season there are only trams running every 15 minutes end to end with the majority going via North Station on their way between Starr Gate and Fleetwood Ferry. It means there is less variety to capture on the line with the full Flexity2 fleet not required to operate that service. As the new enhanced service due to operate by the summer still waited this pictorial article takes a look at some sights of the trams on Wednesday 5th March 2025. Steven Hughes with the images.
014 continues to try and encourage businesses to advertise on the trams but it seems it has rather limited success with very few new adverts seen over the past 12 months. The tram is seen here running along Fleetwood Esplanade at the start of its journey to Starr Gate via North Station.
012 is one tram which has had a full wrap for Pleasure Beach since August 2023. In late 2024 the tram had received a replacement end panel which was in normal fleet livery but this has now seen full advertising vinyls applied once again, presumably a sign that this advert is here to stay for a while yet. Also seen on Fleetwood Esplanade.
Into Blackpool and just by Talbot Square junction with the youngest tram in the fleet, 018 seen just about to head up Talbot Road.
The bright yellow 016 certainly can’t be missed! Advertising Coral Island since March 2024 in this view we see it just coming back onto the Prom after heading up to North Station. Its bound for Starr Gate.
015 is also seen at the junction as it heads up to North Station.
Another shot of 012 as it turns off the Prom and is about to cross the road to go into Talbot Square, up Talbot Road and onto North Station. (All Photographs by Steven Hughes, 5th March 2025)
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The advertising cars are certainly not great for passengers wishing to view the Illuminations!
With the state of the tramway and the state of the illuminations these days, I doubt there will be any passengers to worry about this summer.
I would agree, having been on one such tram passing through the lights, just going from A to B by good fortune. It was like looking through dense net curtains. I think this would put many off the idea of riding through the Lights. Of course, they could keep fit by cycling along the promenade or even take a coach trip. Maybe some of the larger hotels might even organise such coach tours for their guests. That would certainly be better for business in a situation where there are no illuminated tram tours available to encourage people to visit.
That’s why illumination tours run! These are service cars.
But there aren’t enough tours or enough trams and crew to satisfy the scale of demand BTS should be aiming for.
Now that is true!
No signs of any plans to run Balloons this season; so I suppose variety will be provided by these Flexity liveries. The contravision will provide a very poor view of the Illuminations in the event there will be no alternative on the tramway. In that case, it’s possible that there will be coach tours in competition with the trams. These might be bookable locally and even organised by some larger hotels in order to retain maximum patronage of the accommodation.
It could be that the last 12 to 13 years have been a period of transition from the old tramway to a system much like those in Sheffield, Croydon, Edinburgh, etc. with no hereitage involvement. Maybe we can hope from what has been stated elsewhere, that there will be a museum on the site of Rigby Road Depot so that those who are interested can at least view the traditional trams in their home town. It may even be possible to enjoy a brief trundle along what’s left of the Blundell Street track (between Hopton Road and Rigby Road). I suppose that one has to be thankful that the heritage trams didn’t simply disappear overnight those 13 years ago.
Can I ask why you think that we’ll never see another Heritage Tram running on the Prom again?