Picture in Time: Midland Metro 10

Posted on Saturday 13 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

This week our modern archive image comes from Midland Metro showing one of the original T69 trams in its second livery style.

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Performance goes up on the Tyne and Wear Metro

Posted on Saturday 13 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

Some good news to report from the Tyne and Wear Metro where the last four week performance period has seen an increase in train punctuality – both in comparison to the previous period and also the same time in 2018. The magic number this time is 87%.

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In Pictures: Birmingham Westside extension

Posted on Saturday 13 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

It will be the next tram extension to open in the UK and should be open within the next six months (opening still remains promised for late 2018). We are, of course, talking about the Birmingham Westside extension of West Midlands Metro which will see trams running from the current Grand Central terminus through Victoria Square to Centenary Square as phase one of this line (by 2021 trams will head to Hagley Road, Edgbaston). The line will also be the first UK tram line to be built without overhead wires allowing the CAF Urbos 3 trams to operate under battery power. This pictorial update shows the scene of the line in early July.

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In Pictures: A Tramtastic day at Heaton Park

Posted on Friday 12 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

On Sunday 7th July the Heaton Park Tramway has their big tram only event for the year with Tramtastic 2019 taking place, with all trams on site playing some part in the day’s goings on. The day saw the return to service at Heaton Park of Manchester 765 after its eventful trip from Beamish a few days earlier whilst one of the other highlights was a five tram parade including the three service cars plus Blackpool 619 and Stockport 5, both of which are currently undergoing workshop attention.

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Work begins on temporary Metro depot in North Tyneside

Posted on Friday 12 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

The Tyne and Wear Metro will soon have a second depot with work now having started on the construction of a temporary depot at Howden in North Tyneside. This depot is due to be ready for use by summer 2020 and is required to provide accommodation to trains whilst the current depot at Gosforth is rebuilt ahead of the delivery of the new trains.

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Supertram gets ready for areas 3, 4 and 5 of rail replacement works

Posted on Friday 12 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

Whilst the area 2 rail replacement works on Stagecoach Supertram are still continuing – schedule to finish on Thursday 18th July – plans have now been revealed for areas 3, 4 and 5 which will take place between Monday 22nd July and Friday 30th August. Taking place around Shalesmoor, Hillsborough and the University of Sheffield these works will once again see the Blue and Yellow routes operating a revised service with replacement buses also in operation to service the affected areas.

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In Pictures: A dull and damp July weekday sees Box 40 in action

Posted on Thursday 11 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

With most schools still hard at work – at least for a few more weeks anyway – Beamish is currently in the inbetween season, sort of the calm before the storm of the summer holidays if you want!, with a three tram service enough to suffice those visitors to the museum and this is exactly what greeted Trevor Hall on Tuesday 9th July. This included Box 40 which is now the sole on loan tram in the north east (scheduled to remain until the end of August) and it was joined by two further enclosed trams in the shape of Sunderland 16 and Sheffield 264 with it being a rather dull and damp day (the sunny weather seems to have gone on holiday itself again for now).

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Driver’s accept pay deal on Tramlink

Posted on Thursday 11 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

Earlier this year services on London Tramlink were severely disrupted for two 24 hour periods after driver’s voted to strike over a pay offer made by Tram Operations Limited. However, after a fresh offer was made – including a minimum 9.9% pay increase over three years plus additional rest days – the industrial action was suspended with ASLEF members being asked to vote on whether to accept this new deal. It has now been confirmed that just less than 9 in 10 drivers who took part in the ballot have accepted the deal bringing an official end to the dispute between the drivers represented by ASLEF and Tram Operations Limited. Further negotiations will now be taking place between Unite the union and Tram Operations Limited concerning other workers on Tramlink who are not part of this deal.

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Picture in Time: Vienna 4225

Posted on Thursday 11 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

Another image from Crich features in this edition of Picture in Time as we head back nearly 47 years for a view of a tram which has a different identity today.

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In Pictures: Crumpsall gets TMS equipment ready for Trafford Park service

Posted on Wednesday 10 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

The Manchester Metrolink Bury line was closed in its entirety on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th July with the main purpose seeing the installation of the majority of the TMS (that’s Tram Management System not Test Match Special!) equipment needed to control the new platform when trams from the Trafford Park line start to terminate in early 2020. This is a vital step for the introduction of these services and will allow the safe movement of trams into the bay platform here. The chance was also taken on Sunday 7th for some work to take place at Victoria with a half set of switches (points) replaced at the city end of the stop. Steve Hyde has provided us with these photos.

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In Pictures: And the trackworks go on

Posted on Wednesday 10 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

In around a week’s time there will be that rare phenomenon in Sheffield – a full tram service running across the whole network, well for three days anyway! The latest rail replacement progress has been concentrated on the inbound track between Wood Street and West Don Street (both roads which can be found along Infirmary Road between the stops at Langsett Primrose View and Infirmary Road) with the usual efficient process of removing the old track, dealing with the track base and then putting the new track down taking place. These area two works are due to finish on Thursday 18th July when a full tram service will run during the Tramlines festival – then its back to it with areas 3, 4 and 5! Stuart Cooke provides the latest images.

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Parade to disrupt Edinburgh Trams

Posted on Wednesday 10 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

Edinburgh Trams services on Sunday 14th July will only run between the Airport and West End Princes Street for a few hours with a parade taking place as part of the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival. This parade will mean that the last full route service from Edinburgh Airport to York Place will run at 1240 with the last departure from York Place back at 1322. A full route will resume no later than 1603 from the Airport and 1644 from York Place. The parade itself starts at 1500 with performances in Princes Street Gardens getting going from 1400 with the tram the easiest way to get there!

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In Pictures: Carlton Colville celebrates 50 years of Eastern Transport Collection – trams included too!

Posted on Tuesday 9 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

The weekend of 6th and 7th July saw the East Anglia Transport Museum helping to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Eastern Transport Collection with many former Eastern Counties buses visiting both as static exhibits as well as to operate special bus services around the local area. Don’t worry I haven’t gone mad and I’m not about to have a complete article looking at buses but the weekend also saw the usual two tram service in operation with Blackpool pair Marton VAMBAC 11 and Standard 159 in action. In this pictorial update we look at those two trams moving the crowds visiting the museum.

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In Pictures: South Shields Metro station closes

Posted on Tuesday 9 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

As we reported a few days ago, the end of service on Sunday 7th July saw the original station at South Shields on the Tyne and Wear Metro close to trains as preparations continue for the opening of an all new transport interchange including Metro platforms and bus station. With trains set to terminate at Chichester for the next four weeks the new station will open on Sunday 4th August but for now South Shields will be without an operating Metro station – the first station on the network to close permanently with this station opening in 1984 when the system was extended to South Shields. Trevor Hall – who had also been on the first train back in 1984! – travelled on the very last train and shares the following photos with us.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloon 707

Posted on Tuesday 9 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

We return to the archives for this latest edition of Picture in Time with an image taken some 21 years ago featuring a rebuilt Balloon – the first of its kind.

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Plans unveiled for tram line in Cardiff

Posted on Monday 8 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

Ambitious plans for a crosscity tram line in Cardiff have been unveiled by the Council as part of a £1 billion project to transform how people travel around the Welsh capital. This plan is completely separate the previously announced South Wales Metro – the upgrading of rail services around the city and into the Valleys – and would see a light rail/tram line run from east to west connecting major population centres and new suburbs in the west with Cardiff Central.

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Another collision in Manchester

Posted on Monday 8 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

There was another instance of service disruption on Manchester Metrolink after a car was involved in a collision with a tram on the Airport line. This collision happened on the evening of Saturday 6th July at approximately 2000 close to the stop at Baguley and saw M5000 3085 involved along with a white Volkswagen. The tram suffered minor damage to its side lower skirting whilst the car seemed to suffer severe damage to its bonnet. Fortunately no serious injuries were reported.

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Around the World in Trams: Madrid 1162

Posted on Sunday 7 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

We have another image from the Spanish city of Madrid this week as we take another look at the last vestiges of the original tram system.

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In Pictures: Bolton 66 returns to service – and then to depot

Posted on Sunday 7 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

One of the bigger complaints in the tram output in Blackpool so far in 2019 has been the lack of variety with only Box 40 (now departed) and Standard 147 flying the flag for the pre-1933 era. But all that should be about to change with the overhaul work on Bolton 66 now having been completed and the tram available for service once more.

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In Pictures: Trams to Glory Mine

Posted on Sunday 7 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

Ever since the 2019 season got underway at Crich there has been a revised service running with the work on the track renewal at Glory Mine having overrun. At times the service has only run as far as Wakebridge whilst further work has been completed at the terminus (with a few recent curtailments as more work was undertaken) whilst when trams have run to Glory Mine it has not been all the way with passengers unable to alight. But now an end is in sight with trams regularly running through to Glory Mine and passengers now also able to board and alight trams here. In the following photos Blackpool 166 demonstrates the new look for Glory Mine…

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