It is most certainly awards season in the transport sector with two major ceremonies recently taking place. One of those with the National Transport Awards which as the name suggests covers all aspects of transport in the UK with one of the categories being “Tram Operator of the Year”.
This year Blackpool Transport were named winners in that category, beating off competition from the two previous winners of the category – Edinburgh Trams (2024) and West Midlands Metro (2023).
Commenting on LinkedIn, Jane Cole, Managing Director of Blackpool Transport, said: “The team have worked tirelessly this year to make the Blackpool Tramway and the extension to the train station a huge success. Thank you to all the employees who have contributed to this prestigious award of Tram Operator of the Year at the National Transport Awards.”
2025 has seen the core service on the Blackpool Transport enjoy enhancements with a much better timetable introduced earlier this year which means for most of the day trams depart from each end of the system every 10 minutes with every other tram going to North Station. This is a far cry from 2024 when a much maligned timetable was introduced for the opening of the extension.
And the timetable improvements haven’t ended there as during the Fireworks Championships a through service has been maintained instead of running a split service and whereas 2024 saw no trams to North Station after 1800 this has also been remedied.
Someone is having a giraffe – and a bloody big one!
BTS is the disgrace of 2025 in a town which relies on its tourist status by refusing to operate one of the main potential attractions in the resort and maintaining a sullen and all too typical refusal by public bodies to behave with candour and honesty as has been too typical in matters legal in recent years.
Having visited San Francisco and seen the draw and the public response that a properly managed heritage fleet can represent this award simply illustrates the isolationist stance taken by too many professional bodies as against the obligations to the public at large that should be the main focus.
The award reflects the fact that operating a reliable transport system is the real reason for the network existing. The heritage operation is no more than an expensive fairground ride and represents a distraction from the main purpose. Comparison with what happens in a large conurbation such as San Francisco is totally irrelevant as the scale of operations and finances are totally different. The tourism trade over there is massive and perhaps the interest shown represents a different public attitude to so called heritage in a country with less scope for history. Over here heritage is a much overworked concept and people have less regard for it.
Steve – when done properly it works. Rewind to 2015 to 19. Trams on short prom hops were always well used in summer. The British public has an appetite for Heritage just not long expensive tours like the post covid offering.
You only have to see how well used the Trams at Heaton Park are to see that.
Anything above half an hour and forget it.
What puzzles me is why, in view of your absolute conviction that Heritage operations are merely an ‘expensive fairground ride’ Blackpool Transport Services did not simply say that in the first place, instead of claiming a number of questionable reasons/excuses for their abrupt cancellation?
‘Comparison with what happens in a large conurbation such as San Francisco is totally irrelevant as the scale of operations and finances are totally different.’ Quite correct. SF is a much more elaborate operation, with 250 light rail vehicles and 50 historic cars, excluding the cable cars, of course. As opposed to the operation at Blackpool of 18 LRVs on what is effectively a single route. SF seem to think it worth doing, why are BTS, and you it seems, so implacably opposed to the concept?
As to ‘expensive’ presumably you have some detailed insight into the costs involved, or you would not make the allegation? I am sure that you would be eager to share these insights with us.
As to Heritage being a ‘much overworked concept,’ perhaps you might also share that insight with the over 150 Heritage Railways currently operating in the United Kingdom, as I respectfully submit that they might disagree with you.
I actually don’t have any detailed knowledge of the finances behind the heritage operation as you suggest. However it appears to me that whilst it is possible that pre-COVID it may have covered its direct operating costs it certainly doesn’t have access to the money needed to cover the maintenance and refurbishment of the Rigby Road depot or the money needed to restore and maintain the fleet. I do know that at the time of the modernisation there were conditions imposed by DfT regarding the separation of the core operation and the heritage fleet which probably meant that they had to be totally financially separate. Whether those restrictions still apply I have no idea.
So, you describe Heritage operations as ‘an expensive fairground ride’ whilst admitting that you have no knowledge of the actual costs involved?
The refurbishment of Rigby Road does not stop a number of Heritage cars being based at, and operating from, Starr Gate, as had happened previously, and will again from 15 October, albeit for a short period.
You say ‘heritage is a much overworked concept’ in Britain, but fail to explain the 150+ Heritage Railways, and other successful sites such as Crich, Beamish, and Carlton Colville?
Instead of generalised negative comments, and a seeming inability or refusal to answer any of the points I have regularly raised, why not simply write that you dislike the Heritage cars, and don’t want to see them return?
I don’t dislike the heritage cars as such, I just don’t feel that the fleet as it stands is sustainable as there is too much duplication. Whilst I admit to not being in possession of detailed financial data it doesn’t take a detailed balance sheet to realise that the costs of running and maintaining the dilapidated depot and heritage trams will need substantial external finance beyond that accrued from the farebox. As for the numbers of heritage railways, I have been involved in tramway preservation both actively and as an armchair observer for many years and it has always been the case that steam trains attract far more attention than old trams. Even given that fact many heritage railways are struggling to raise the money they need to sustain their current operations.
I will sign this off accepting that given our totally different viewpoints we will never agree.
I have never suggested that the existing Heritage fleet would remain, but certainly a nucleus should. Neither is Rigby Road a running depot.
Certainly, Heritage Railways are very attractive, and some are struggling financially, although most are not. Moreover, 150+ heritage lines can hardly be compared with the handful of sites operating Heritage Tramcars.
Numbers attending Carlton Colville in 2024 have increased for the third year in a row, as they have, I believe, at the National Tramway Museum.
If you think the non running of Heritage makes any significant dent in tourism you are deluded. A handful of enthusiasts, nah.
I agree that the heritage trams are probably not a major attraction in themselves, but ask anyone about what makes Blackpool unique, and you will probably be told ‘The Tower, the Illuminations, the Pleasure Beach, and the Old Trams.’
Do you think that Blackpool will actually gain anything should the heritage trams cease running? Surely, they are a symbol, one of several, of Blackpool’s special status.
They won’t gain anything but will lose much (but I fear not financially. )
There are a significant number of illumination tour tickets left – have people stopped bothering?
Aside from the fact that the tickets have not been on sale for long, the trips are only taking place on seven different days, and on two of those days (Saturday 18th & Sunday 26th), only one seat is shown as available.
Do you have information about availability on other days, as it doesn’t seem to be generally accessible.
Moreover, the times of the trips ( 1805, 1930, & 2100) are hardly convenient for anyone other than local people. Especially when on four of the days, ( Wednesday 22nd at 2100, Sunday 26th at 2100, Thursday 30th at 2100, and Sunday 1st at 2100) there is only a single, late, trip on offer.
Further to my earlier post, my original comment was actually inaccurate. I had assumed that the tours listed on the Heritage Tram tour site represented all the planned trips.
In fact, those which had already been fully booked had been, I am informed, removed from the site.
It appears that booking has gone very well, and I am delighted to admit my initial mistake!
What makes Blackpool unique is indeed it’s tower, Illuminations, and trams. However, London was unique for Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and old Routemasters, but the removal of Routemasters, that icon of London, hasn’t destroyed tourism, and let’s be fair, neither has replacing the old trams with LRVs. Beyond the general tourism decline in the UK, the old trams being replaced hasn’t really had any detriment, beyond disappointing enthusiasts like us. We do need to try and ensure that our heritage fleet is protected and remains running for future generations to enjoy, but let’s not pretend they are going to change that much for Blackpool.
Hmmm certainly not deserved when it comes to the virtual abandonment of the heritage fleet.