Birkenhead 20 debuts in Blackpool – with more outings to follow!

Posted on Wednesday 24 October 2018 by Andrew Waddington

At long last, and following workshop attention including the fitting of a new set of tyres to its wheels, Birkenhead 20 carried passengers at Blackpool for the first time on Thursday 18th October. This outing was a tour for its owning group, the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society, was deemed successful enough for the car to be approved for use on a strictly limited number of days before its expected departure next month.

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Half a million passengers use Metro for summer events

Posted on Wednesday 24 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

The popularity of the Tyne and Wear Metro with passengers to get around the local area during special events has once again be shown with half a million extra journeys estimated to have been taken over the summer. Events including sold-out stadium concerts by Ed Sheeran, the Tall Ships Races in Sunderland and the Great Exhibition of the North took place over the summer with extra services out on to cater for the extra journeys.

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In Pictures: East Anglia Transport Museum in July

Posted on Tuesday 23 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

In this pictorial article we take a visit to the East Anglia Transport Museum in Carlton Colville for some views of the trams in service on Sunday 8th July, which was the second day of the Electric Dreams event. On this sunny day the two trams in action were Blackpool 159 and Sheffield 513. Tony Sullivan provides the images.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Brush 634

Posted on Tuesday 23 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

Today’s delve into the archives heads into the mid 1980s for another photo from Blackpool showing one of the many colourful all over adverts carried on the trams.

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In Pictures: All change at Grand Central

Posted on Monday 22 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

As previously featured on these pages, up until next summer, all trams at Grand Central will be arriving at departing at platform 1 to allow for the continuation of construction work of the extension of West Midlands Metro which will eventually reach Edgbaston. This means that trams now use the crossover just after departure from Grand Central instead of drawing forward along Stephenson Street to just outside the Ian Allan bookstore. Photos from Martin Miller showing the new arrangements.

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Five bidders shortlisted for new Tyne & Wear Metro trains

Posted on Sunday 21 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

For the first time since the Tyne and Wear Metro opened in the early 1980s there is to be a new fleet of trains with the five bidders shortlisted to design, build and maintain the new trains recently revealed by transport executive Nexus. The bidders include companies with vast experience in supplying trains and trams to the UK along with some more unfamiliar names.

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Luas fares to be changed in December

Posted on Sunday 21 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

A new simplified fares structure is to be introduced on Dublin’s Luas tram network in December. The new fares are all part of the National Transport Authority’s 2017 proposals to introduce a flat fare across not only Luas but also bus and rail services.

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Around the World in Trams: Graz 510

Posted on Saturday 20 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

Tonight we are heading to Austria and the city of Graz for a view of a tram which is now 40 years old.

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New safety campaign launched in Nottingham

Posted on Saturday 20 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

Accidents and near misses caught on CCTV will be used in a new video as part of a campaign aimed at improving safety on Nottingham’s busy roads with the nights rapidly drawing in. Nottingham Express Transit are urging motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to take care in areas of the city where trams operate with the aim of reducing the number of collisions which would in turn reduce the delays experienced on the tram network.

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Saturday 20 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

We continue coverage of the autumn special events with the latest main site update including a double helping of photos: Continue reading →

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27 gets ready for the Douglas end of an era Cavalcade

Posted on Friday 19 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

We’ve already reported on the “New Beginnings” celebration on the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway with trams running on the old double track formation in its entirety for the very last time on Sunday 21st October to allow for the Prom reconstruction works to get underway in earnest. Previously announced was an eight tram Cavalcade on that last day along the whole tramway and now it seems that this will include the first use of Saloon 27 following the completion of its overhaul and a repaint in a different livery.

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Metro journeys to Newcastle Airport hit all time high

Posted on Friday 19 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

More passengers than ever are travelling by Tyne and Wear Metro to Newcastle Airport according to new figures released by Nexus. Almost 1 million journeys were made in the year up to March 2018 with officials stating this is down to the increase in destinations from the Airport as well as the northeast itself becoming a more popular destination for visitors.

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In Pictures: Sneak peek of new destinations for Tram-Train service

Posted on Thursday 18 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

With the shadow running for the full introduction of the Tram-Train service between Sheffield and Rotherham continuing ahead of the start of services on Thursday 25th October a sneak peek has been seen on the destinations – including the route code.

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Picture in Time: Manchester Metrolink 1019

Posted on Thursday 18 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

We’re going black and white for today’s Picture in Time image as we back to year one of Manchester Metrolink – 1992.

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Birkenhead 20 to run in Blackpool – at last!

Posted on Wednesday 17 October 2018 by Andrew Waddington

News on Birkenhead 20 has been in short supply of late, with little being heard about the tram for much of its time spent in Blackpool – where it arrived on loan from the Birkenhead heritage tramway well over a year ago. However, the tram is expected to make a belated entry into service imminently, with its first duty being a private tour for its owners, the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society, on Thursday 18th October.

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Posted in Birkenhead Heritage Tramway, Blackpool Tramway | 3 Comments

Yet more vinyls in Manchester

Posted on Wednesday 17 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

It really does get difficult to keep up with all the vinyls applied to trams in Manchester with yet another tram now being treated to a new look recently. This time the tram in question is 3058 which has received special vinyls for “Catch the Moment”, a TfGM campaign seeking to encourage people to travel on Metrolink and share their images on social media for the chance to see them shared by TfGM or used on posters – or trams! For possibly the first time in recent times this is a full vinyl wrap which doesn’t see the windows completely covered with most of the advert confined to above and below the windows. The ends remain in standard fleet livery with the new vinyls featuring yellows, pinks and purples. This is the third different vinyl wrap to have been applied to 3058 with previous designs having been carried for Kayak and Sainsbury’s.

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Another vinyl wrap in Blackpool

Posted on Tuesday 16 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

For the past few years Blackpool’s Flexity2 014 has been letting you know just how you can advertise on a tram and now someone has taken it up on its offer as the tram is now running in a full vinyl wrap for JD Sports. With a black base colour the Purple and White fleet livery has been completely buried by the new vinyls which also features white circles with the JD logo and further circles discs showing products (trainers) available from the shop. Unlike PrettyLittleThing.com pair 003 and 016 this advert does feature contravision on three sections. 014 entered service last week and again didn’t receive fleet numbers from the get-go. This is the first vinyl wrap advert for 014 and now means that three of the 18 strong Flexity2 class are carrying full adverts.

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Progress on new South Shields transport interchange

Posted on Tuesday 16 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

The new £21 million bus and Tyne and Wear Metro interchange at South Shields is progressing with the roof now having been installed. The project to build the new interchange started earlier this year and is Phase Two of the £100 million South Shields 365 regeneration masterplan.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloon 707

Posted on Tuesday 16 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

In this edition of Picture in Time we are back in Blackpool as we take a look at an all over advert from the 1980s as carried on Balloon Car 707.

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In Preview: Starlight Extravaganza at Crich

Posted on Monday 15 October 2018 by Gareth Prior

It is an event which seems to have increased in popularity a lot in recent years, the Starlight Extravaganza at the Crich Tramway Village will return between Monday 29th October and Saturday 3rd November giving visitors the rare chance to see trams running after dark with special lighting effects adding even more to the usual scene.

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