What’s New on British Trams Online? 14th April 2024

Posted on Sunday 14 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

More photos from the recent archives this week and we’re off to a special Blackpool Day at the Heaton Park Tramway in 2010:

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RAIB report in Nottingham derailment released

Posted on Saturday 13 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch have released a report into the derailment of Citadis 232 at Bulwell on Nottingham Express Transit which occurred at 1706 on 12th June 2023. In the report they set out what caused the tram to be derailed as well as providing recommendations to try and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

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Around the World in Trams: Kolkata 71

Posted on Saturday 13 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

Another edition of “Around the World in Trams” coming from Kolkata in India.

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Metrolink 1024 – we missed a scrapping!

Posted on Saturday 13 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

Sometimes there are just news stories which pass us by and we’re never aware of them until a long time after it happened, and this is definitely one of those situations! Manchester Metrolink 1024 – which we last had as being stored at Long Marston seems to actually been scrapped in August 2022 so we’re only about 19 months late with this one!

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Metro to play key role in West Midlands major investment for a green transport revolution

Posted on Saturday 13 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

Could we be seeing even more extensions to the West Midlands Metro network? With work underway on both the Birmingham Eastside and Wednesbury-Dudley-Brierley Hill lines, plans by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) could see even more built as part of the major investment in a green transport revolution for the region.

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Coventry Very Light Rail scheme has bid for funding rejected

Posted on Friday 12 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

Hopes that passengers may be carried on Coventry’s Very Light Rail (VLR) scheme in 2025 seem to have been dashed after reports that the Department for Transport rejected a bid for funding. The news of the funding rejection comes following a Freedom of Information request by the BBC which confirmed a bid for £36.8 million of funding made last year was rejected as DfT officials questioned whether Coventry would be the right place for VLR.

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In Pictures: Track down in Digbeth

Posted on Friday 12 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

The press releases on the Birmingham Eastside West Midlands Metro extension keep telling us about the progress being made on the construction of the route in various locations whilst also reminding us that it will be some time before trams actually start running because of the HS2 works at Curzon Street. Whilst we do have the promise that it won’t quite be as late as it might for some of the route with a temporary terminus due to be built by the Clayton Hotel there do remain significant sections of the 1.7km long route which will not be seeing a tram for some time.

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Picture in Time: Stagecoach Supertram 124

Posted on Friday 12 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

Today is the final part of “Picture in Time” featuring the Stagecoach years of operation on the Supertram network in South Yorkshire.

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In Pictures: Round-up of Easter work on West Midlands Metro

Posted on Thursday 11 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

Services on the West Midlands Metro returned to normality (or the normality we’ve come to expect in recent months since the opening of the Wolverhampton Railway Station extension) on Wednesday 10th April as expected following the major works which were undertaken over the Easter period. Whilst the big headline news was the joining up of the current line with the extension to Dudley at Wednesbury as we’ve already seen at the same time there was more work undertaken on the existing line with rail replacement at various stops. Andy Walters provides a photographic round-up of some of the work.

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Extra trams for Manchester Marathon

Posted on Thursday 11 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

The adidas Manchester Marathon will be taking place on Sunday 14th April and with around 32,000 runners set to take part as well as thousands more watching the race, residents are being advised to plan their journey in advance and to use public transport where possible to reduce congestion. To help move the crowds there will be extra trams running on Metrolink’s Altrincham line as well as additional doubles in action across the network.

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South Shields FC help Metro celebrate 40 years

Posted on Thursday 11 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

South Shields FC – who play at the 1st Cloud Arena stadium which is right next to the Tyne and Wear Metro station at Bede – have taken a break from their promotion push from the Vanarama National League North to present Nexus with a special commemorative shirt to help celebrate 40 years of the South Tyneside line.

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In Pictures: 3064 becomes latest tram to join the advert club in Manchester

Posted on Wednesday 10 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

And so it continues! Manchester Metrolink M5000 3064 has now become the latest tram to receive advertising vinyls in the fleet following the application of a design for New York City, complete with images of the Statue of Liberty.

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In Pictures: Burton & Ashby 14 in service at Statfold Barn Railway

Posted on Wednesday 10 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

Burton & Ashby 14, the sole tram at the Statfold Barn Railway, is once again ready for service in 2024 with it being used at special events which take place at the railway. With no overhead at the railway the 3’6” gauge tram runs on battery power as it has done ever since it was restored following repatriation from Detroit in the United States of America. Its first use for 2024 was over the weekend of 16th and 17th March with it in passenger service all day rather than the few hours per day its seen use at other recent events.

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Some DLR services to be short-formed ahead of introduction of new trains

Posted on Wednesday 10 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

Passengers using the Docklands Light Railway route between Stratford International and Woolwich Arsenal may have recently noticed that their service doesn’t have quite as much capacity as it did with confirmation that until further notice they will be short-formed.

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In Pictures: Overhead back all the way to North Station

Posted on Tuesday 9 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

After what seems to have been some time since there was even the glimpse of positive news for the start of tram services to Blackpool North Station its somewhat pleasing to report that the last week or so has seen a slight change which may just be good news that we may see trams running that way at some point in the future. Photos courtesy of Peter Dockerty.

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Early May resumption for Metrolink services from Victoria onto 2CC?

Posted on Tuesday 9 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

As you may have read in the comments section as part of our recent article about track repairs on Portland Street, the Manchester Evening News is reporting that services may resume between Victoria and Exchange Square from early May. The story was published with quotes from Danny Vaugan (TfGM’s Head of Metrolink) which suggest than an end to this disruption may be on the way.

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Metro anniversary celebrations launched with design competition

Posted on Tuesday 9 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

With 30th May marking the 25th anniversary of the West Midlands Metro the birthday celebrations have been kicked off with a competition aimed at primary schools across the region. Local primary schools are being asked to submit designs for a special anniversary emblem that will feature prominently during the celebrations – including on the side of trams.

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In Pictures: Now a new advert for 3118 in Manchester

Posted on Monday 8 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

The popularity of Manchester’s trams with advertisers seems to be showing no signs of waning with 3118 the latest of the Metrolink M5000s to receive a vinyl wrap. It’s a first ad for the tram which in the process becomes the highest numbered tram in the Manchester fleet to have ever worn something which isn’t fleet livery!

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Contactless “tap on, tap off” payments for short hop journeys launched in Nottingham

Posted on Monday 8 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

Starting from 2nd April 2024, passengers who travel short distances on Nottingham Express Transit have been able to enjoy the benefits of contactless “tap on, tap off” payments with the introduction of new functionality on the contactless validation system.

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Out and About: More West Midlands Metro – January 2024

Posted on Monday 8 April 2024 by Gareth Prior

In this edition of “Out and About” we are off to the West Midlands Metro in January 2024. This was a milestone trip out for regular British Trams Online contributor, Ken Jones, as it marked the first time he was allowed out onto public transport since having a stroke in late 2023.

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