Advent Calendars available now!

Posted on Saturday 1 December 2018 by Gareth Prior

With today being 1st December its time for our annual Advent Calendars to launch. As with previous years we have two Advent Calendars which should suit most tastes of those who read these pages. There is the Traditional Trams Advent Calendar and the Modern Trams Advent Calendar. We’re sure you know the idea behind an Advent Calendar – each day in the lead up to Christmas there is a window for you to “open” except in our case its a photo of a tram rather than a sweet! The next day’s image will be loaded the night before so don’t forget not to peek too soon! The Advent Calendars can be found here.

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Lancashire County Council respond to Trams to Lytham petition

Posted on Friday 30 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

A petition urging support for a plan to extend the Blackpool Tramway into the South Fylde (including Lytham and St Annes) has recently closed with more than 3,8000 signatories backing the plans. The petition was launched by Trams to Lytham who want to see the extension to provide an integrated, modern transport system across the Fylde Coast. With the petition now closed it has been presented to both Lancashire County Council and Fylde Council asking for support although the initial reaction from the county council is circumspect to say the least.

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Another collision between Tram-Train and road vehicle in Sheffield

Posted on Friday 30 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

Stagecoach Supertram services to Meadowhall and on the Tram-Train service to Rotherham Parkgate have been suspended after a second major collision between a Tram-Train and road vehicle – this comes just five weeks after the first. The collision happened at approximately 1630 on Friday 30th November and involved a car and 399 202 at Woodbourn Road.

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Demolition work starts on Strathallan Depot

Posted on Friday 30 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

No sooner had Tynwald approved the plans (and funding) for the reconstruction of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway’s depot at Strathallan than the bulldozers had moved in to start demolishing the current life expired building. Work started on Monday 26th November and will see the current building demolished ahead of construction work on a new structure starting in 2019.

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20 heads home to Birkenhead

Posted on Thursday 29 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

It ran just five times with passengers but the loan of Birkenhead 20 to Blackpool is now officially over with the tram returning to its home town and the Birkenhead Heritage Tramway. 20 made the trip back to Merseyside on Wednesday 28th November – just over 16 months since it travelled the other way for the start of its loan period.

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Picture in Time: South Yorkshire Supertram Nunnery Depot

Posted on Thursday 29 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

The final edition of Picture in Time for 2018 sees us heading to South Yorkshire once more for an image taken in the formative days of the system of Nunnery Depot.

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Santa Claus is coming to Edinburgh Trams!

Posted on Wednesday 28 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

We are used to seeing Santa Specials on various heritage tramways but a much rarer event is that of a Santa Special on a normal operating tramway but for one day only this year Edinburgh Trams will be running a series of special trips with the big man himself in attendance! On Monday 3rd December three special trips will run between York Place and Gyle Centre with pre-booking required to take part.

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In Pictures: Flower power for M5000 3014

Posted on Wednesday 28 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

Its another day and another article on the application of a new vinyl wrap on a tram in Manchester! This time around the tram involved is 3014 which has received a very floral design for American Express and their campaign urging people to “Shop Small and help Manchester Bloom”. When we see very floral we mean it as it is covered almost completely in flowery images save for a little bit of the American Express branding – and it does once again feature contravision. Kian Lewis has provided us with the image below.

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Edinburgh Trams staff vote in favour of striking

Posted on Tuesday 27 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

Possible strikes on Edinburgh Trams – which would likely take place in the lead up to Christmas and the Hogmanay period – have moved a step forward with members of the Unite union voting overwhelmingly in favour of action in the ongoing dispute over the treatment of workers by management. Nearly 70% of those who voted (in a turnout of 89%) were in favour of striking.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool & Fleetwood 2

Posted on Tuesday 27 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

In this instalment of Picture in Time we are back at Crich for an image from the earlier days of the museum, at a time when Wakebridge was the terminus.

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In Pictures: Batteries installed on 35

Posted on Monday 26 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

The battery revolution on the West Midlands Metro is continuing with the next tram to have received them – the sixth of the class – being 35. The CAF built tram has not yet entered service but has been spotted outside the depot at Wednesbury sporting the battery compartment on the roof. Testing is likely to commence shortly ahead of its entry into service. Andy Walters captured the following images for us.

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In Pictures: Work continues on Blackpool North extension

Posted on Monday 26 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

One of three tramways currently seeing construction works underway for a new line (Manchester Metrolink and West Midlands Metro the others) and the one which may see public services first is that for the Blackpool North station extension and good progress continues to be made on those parts of the line which can be attended to at this time. Peter Dockerty with the photos.

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Communications failure causing Metro suspension

Posted on Sunday 25 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

A Saturday morning in the lead up to Christmas is normally a time when public transport in major cities can except to be very busy as people head out to do their shopping. Alas on Saturday 24th November anyone wanting to catch the Tyne and Wear Metro was to be sadly disappointed as a major signalling and communications failure led to a complete service suspension with no trains running until shortly after 1100.

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Nominations open for Tram of the Year!

Posted on Sunday 25 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

Yes, it is once again that time of year – the time when we start the process of anointing the new winners of the British Trams Online Tram of the Year contest! Last year the winners were Douglas Bay Horse Tramway 36, Stagecoach Supertram 399 202, the Statfold Barn Railway and Statfold’s launch event of Burton & Ashby 14 but just what has done enough in the past 12 months to walk away this time around? Well, it’s over to you as for the next seven days nominations are open for you to help form the shortlists!

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 25 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

We have another couple of Photo Galleries as part of this week’s main site update:

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In Pictures: West Midlands Metro Birmingham Westside extension

Posted on Saturday 24 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

We recently took a look at the West Midlands Metro extension works at the Wolverhampton end of the line and today we head to the other end of the line for some views of recent progress on the extension at the other end in Birmingham. Andy Walters is the photographer.

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Around the World in Trams: Rotterdam 831

Posted on Saturday 24 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

We head to the Netherlands for this final look at trams from around the world this year with the city of Rotterdam the subject of our attention.

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In Pictures: Cambridge Street Tramways 7 – approaching completion

Posted on Saturday 24 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

It is a tram which provided a mystery as to just where it had come from in the initial stages of restoration at the Ipswich Transport Museum but Cambridge Street Tramways 7 is now approaching the end of its work ahead of display at the museum, complete with the obligatory fake horse as all horse trams seem to be partnered with!

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In Pictures: Wolverhampton City Centre extension construction

Posted on Friday 23 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

As we’ve reported over the past few months there is currently West Midlands Metro extension works ongoing at both ends of the current line and in this article Martin Miller brings us a pictorial update on what is happening in Wolverhampton City Centre with plenty of track now in place.

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Wirral Waters tram scheme back in the offing?

Posted on Friday 23 November 2018 by Gareth Prior

Many of you will remember at the start of this decade an ambitious plan to extend the current Birkenhead Heritage Tramway to the proposed Wirral Waters development with several redundant Blackpool trams purchased to be converted for operation on this line. This plan – which was being developed by Merseytravel – was formally abandoned in 2014 which led to the Blackpool trams mostly heading to Fleetwood and it seemed the chances of an extended line on the Wirral were at and end. However, the Wirral Waters development is now back in the news and Peel Holdings are keen on once again developing a tram line to link the project with other local transport.

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