This is an article which could often be written about most tram systems across the UK, but this time we report on the Blackpool Tramway who have started February 2026 with a shortage of available trams meaning an already reduced service has seen further cancellations.
As you will recall the tramway has been operating a temporary timetable since 7th January 2026 to allow for essential maintenance work to take place on the Flexity2 trams. This was said at the time to accelerate planned maintenance after a routine inspection found that some trams needed more urgent upgrades to their suspension systems.
This temporary timetable needs nine trams to operate it, out of a total fleet of 18 (although 005 is a long-term absentee). However, at times in the first week of February 2026 even this has not been possible with, at one stage, 11 of the trams being unavailable for service leaving just seven to operate the service as well as the continued driver training programme.
Things have improved since then and as at Friday 6th February the status of the trams were:
Operational: 001, 002, 003, 006, 008, 009, 011, 013, 014, 015, 016
Out of service: 004, 005, 007, 010, 012, 017, 018
Included in the out of service trams is 012 which has also just lost its Pleasure Beach advertising wrap to return to fleet livery for the first time since August 2023.
New safety signage continues to be used across the tramway. This includes this new style signs which go further than the “TWO LINES = STOP” LRSSB backed campaign to make it clearer. This is at Broadwater. (Photograph by Michael Morton, 5th February 2026)