TfL admit funding is not available for Sutton Tramlink extension

Posted on Wednesday 4 October 2023 by Gareth Prior

In news which will probably surprise absolutely no-one, Transport for London have admitted that they cannot afford to fund the once planned extension of Tramlink to Sutton and that they don’t see that the situation will change in the future. This pretty much puts an end to the hopes that the tram system may be expanded at any point in the foreseeable future as there remain no other active plans on TfL’s radar.

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Tramtown closed as structural surveys take place at Rigby Road Depot

Posted on Tuesday 3 October 2023 by Gareth Prior

Anyone heading down to Tramtown in Blackpool (Rigby Road Depot) over the past few days will probably have been concerned by the sight of notices preventing access to the workshops and main tram shed and fencing across the front of the depot. In what seemed to be a sudden change of fortunes (Tramtown tours were still available for booking last week) it set the rumours off of what was going on but things have now been clarified after the release of a statement from Blackpool Transport Managing Director Jane Cole.

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FOCUS+ provides breakthrough in driver fatigue detection

Posted on Tuesday 3 October 2023 by Gareth Prior

FOCUS+ – a wearable device that has been designed to detect the onset of fatigue in tram drivers – has delivered excellent results in independent tests which were commissioned by UKTram. The tests have shown that the technology has an accuracy rate of over 98%.

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In Pictures: 54 enters service on the West Midlands Metro

Posted on Monday 2 October 2023 by Gareth Prior

Its been some time since a new tram entered service on the West Midlands Metro (over two months in fact) but that chanced on Saturday 30th September when 54 carried its first passengers on the line between Edgbaston Village and Wolverhampton Railway Station.

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In Pictures: 255 into service with new Forever Edinburgh adverts

Posted on Monday 2 October 2023 by Gareth Prior

We reported last week that Edinburgh Trams 255 had recently received new adverts for its same sponsor – Forever Edinburgh – but at that time it hadn’t re-entered service and so we had only featured it at the depot with the plainer of the two sides of the advert (whilst promising you that the other side was more attractive!). The tram is now back in service and so for the first time we can include images of the tram in service with the more attractive side showing!

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Out and About: Manchester Metrolink Adverts – July 2023

Posted on Monday 2 October 2023 by Gareth Prior

Manchester Metrolink is a system which has regularly had various advertising liveries applied to their trams and the start of July 2023 saw a few more seen for the first time and featured in this edition of “Out and About”.

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Trams &: Blackpool Balloon 715 & bus

Posted on Sunday 1 October 2023 by Gareth Prior

We’re back for the next few weeks with “Trams &” and we start off in Blackpool as we see the old and the new of two different transport modes meeting.

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In Pictures: Alford Valley Community Railway resumes operation

Posted on Sunday 1 October 2023 by Gareth Prior

The Alford Valley Community Railway in Aberdeenshire has recently started running again after a five year closure, but what does this have to do with trams in the British Isles? Well, amongst their rolling stock is a former Aberdeen Suburban Tramway Company tramcar which had been converted to hauled stock and although it is currently out of use there are plans to return it to operational condition in the future.

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West Midlands Metro launch Instagram account

Posted on Sunday 1 October 2023 by Gareth Prior

You can now find the West Midlands Metro on Instagram after the company launched a new official account to reach out to a different audience.

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What’s New on British Trams Online? 1st October 2023

Posted on Sunday 1 October 2023 by Gareth Prior

We’re back with another main site update! After a month’s gap we start our round-up of various tram events which took place in September with photos from the Isle of Man which helped to celebrate 130 years of the Manx Electric Railway:

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Testing continues of new Metro fleet – but project confirmed as five months behind schedule

Posted on Saturday 30 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

Its been confirmed that the programme to introduce the new Tyne and Wear Metro fleet of trains (currently being built by Stadler) into service is running around five months behind schedule. It had been hoped the first would be in service by the end of 2023 but although the plan remains for one to run in passenger service before the end of the year this will now be a short demonstration run only.

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Around the World in Trams: Riga 57049

Posted on Saturday 30 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

We do back outside of the British Isles for this latest edition of “Around the World in Trams” and we’re still in Riga.

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Police appeal for information after assault on Metrolink

Posted on Saturday 30 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

Greater Manchester Police have launched an appeal for information following an incident that happened at approximately 1830 on Friday 22nd September on board a tram as it was close to Failsworth in Oldham. Officers received reports that a man had attacked someone on the tram and caused damage to several of the windows on the tram.

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New Metro extension proves popular with passengers

Posted on Saturday 30 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

It may only have been open for a couple of weeks but West Midlands Metro are already reporting on the popularity of the new extension to Wolverhampton Railway Station. The line (which includes two new stops) opened on Sunday 17th September and although there have been some teething problems with signalling problems West Midlands Metro are keen to shout out about the extension as it gives new journey opportunities for passengers.

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Overhead line fault reported at Radcliffe

Posted on Friday 29 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

Manchester Metrolink services were suspended between Bury and Whitefield on Friday 29th September following reports of an overhead line fault. The report was first made at around 1100 and repairs are expected to take some time with no service due to be running until the morning of Saturday 30th September.

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Luas Engineering Works: Saturday 30th September and Sunday 1st October

Posted on Friday 29 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

The weekend of Saturday 30th September and Sunday 1st October will see further engineering works taking place on Dublin’s Luas network. This time it’s the Red line which will be affected with the work due to take place between Blackhorse and Heuston stops.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Brush 634

Posted on Friday 29 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

Its time for another edition of “Picture in Time” and we stay in Blackpool for this week’s photo.

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In Pictures: Final Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours Enhanced Weekend of 2023

Posted on Thursday 28 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

The weekend of Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th September saw the final Enhanced Weekend of “hop-on, hop-off” tours for Blackpool’s heritage trams this year. The service offered has gradually evolved during 2023 with the standard pattern now seeing five heritage trams in operation on various timetabled services between Pleasure Beach and points north as far as Fleetwood. The timetable for this weekend was slightly tweaked to that seen recently with a slightly later start time and a different pattern of journeys during the day but each day saw six different trams run with a total of nine trams running daytime tours on these two days plus two additional trams running evening illumination tours.

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NET strikes off after latest offer accepted

Posted on Thursday 28 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

The GMB Union have confirmed that their members working on Nottingham Express Transit have accepted the latest pay offer made to them by management which has led to the planned strikes due to start on Friday 29th September for ten days being cancelled. Media reports suggest that the new pay offer will see wages increase by 10%.

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Revised plans confirmed for Heaton Park Tramway End of Season Gala

Posted on Thursday 28 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

Volunteer availability this weekend has meant that the original plans for the End of Season Gala at the Heaton Park Tramway on Sunday 1st October have had to be scaled back slightly but despite that they are still pulling out all the stops to ensure all operational trams run in service at some point in the day.

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