In Pictures: New cycle arrangements in Edinburgh

Posted on Thursday 2 November 2017 by Gareth Prior

One of the controversies of Edinburgh Trams since opening has been the arrangements for cyclists in the vicinity of the tracks with threats of legal action from disgruntled cycling groups and the tragic death in May of a cyclist after she fell when her bike wheel got struck in the tracks and she was hit by a minibus. As we reported a few weeks the City of Edinburgh Council have been looking at this issue and have recently started to install new red cycle lanes providing the safest way to cross the tracks.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloon 706

Posted on Thursday 2 November 2017 by Gareth Prior

One of the most popular trams in Blackpool when operational is Princess Alice, or Open Top Balloon 706 if you want to include its number. And that is the very tram which features in today’s Picture in Time although it was at a time when 706 was going through a stage of carrying all over adverts.

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Get your diaries out! First 2018 event dates announced for Crich

Posted on Wednesday 1 November 2017 by Gareth Prior

The 2017 season is yet to finish at Crich but already their website has been updated with first details of special events for 2018. There are no major changes to the regular pattern of events although the main enthusiast event – now renamed Simply Trams – comes forward slightly in the calendar to Saturday 1st September (unfortunately clashing with the start of the MER 125 events on the Isle of Man).

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In Pictures: Crich Starlight Spectacular

Posted on Wednesday 1 November 2017 by Gareth Prior

The Starlight Spectacular at Crich has firmly established itself in recent years as a popular event at the end of the season with special lighting effects and later opening allowing for some unique photo opportunities alongside various family activities. With the quirk of the calendar in 2017 it wasn’t actually the final week of the season but nonetheless another successful event took place which included Leeds 399 decorated again with lights to become an illuminated tram (with two other illuminated cars also available in the form of Blackpool open pair Toastrack 166 and Boat 236). A selection of sights from the event follow from the camera of Hazel Quarmby.

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In Pictures: Supertram gets its poppies

Posted on Tuesday 31 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

Poppies are starting to appear on the cab ends of trams on Stagecoach Supertram as part of the Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal. Each year in the lead up to Remembrance Sunday many UK tramways so adorn their trams with Supertram the first to do so in 2017. The poppies are attached to the cab ends with both the Siemens Duewag and Citylink trams noted with this addition.

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Picture in Time: Manx Electric Railway 2

Posted on Tuesday 31 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

In this edition of Picture in Time we are on the Isle of Man as we take a look at one of the “oldest trams in the world” in action over 24 years ago.

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Aberdeen 54 sold at auction

Posted on Monday 30 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

Aberdeen 54 has been sold at auction with the remains of the tram body purchased for £500, which considering the poor condition of the remaining parts of the lower saloon was a high price to pay.

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More ambitious plans for Preston

Posted on Sunday 29 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

Preston and modern trams is a story which keeps coming and this week in order to prove a point about how trams can run in the Lancashire city the Trampower group hired a bendy bus to go along proposed routes and calculate how it would affect congestion. All this comes as they prepare to submit a proposal to the city council for a full tram line – even before the short demonstration line is ready for operation.

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In Pictures: A windy day in Dudley

Posted on Sunday 29 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

It isn’t just operating tramways who have trouble in the wind! On Sunday 22nd October the tram service was suspended at the Black Country Living Museum because of fears that the wind would dewire the tram and cause it to lose braking power. The day had seen the stunning double decker Wolverhampton 49 in service – top deck closed. Eventually the tram was replaced in service by a Wolverhampton trolleybus. These photos from Peter Narramore show the sights from the day.

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In Pictures: Speed restrictions in Blackpool

Posted on Sunday 29 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

Coming less than a week after the previous storm, Brian made its presence felt over the weekend of 21st/22nd October although the damage caused and disruption to tramways was nowhere as near severe as that caused by Ophelia. In Blackpool high winds were experienced causing issues on the exposed coastal tramway.

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First phase of Trafford Park Metrolink works completed

Posted on Sunday 29 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

The first phase of highway works for the extension of Manchester Metrolink to Trafford Park have been completed – in plenty of time for Christmas so that those visiting the Trafford Centre aren’t badly affected. A temporary road layout has been installed at Peel Circle and no roadworks will take place in the vicinity until 2018.

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Picture in Time: Docklands Light Railway 05

Posted on Saturday 28 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

In this edition of Picture in Time we find ourselves in the capital for an image from the Docklands Light Railway of one of the original trains, 05 in 1994

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Service cuts on the way for Supertram

Posted on Saturday 28 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

A new timetable is to be introduced on Stagecoach Supertram from Sunday 28th January 2018 but instead of the usual service enhancement you expect from a new timetable this will see fewer trams run each hour off-peak on the Blue and Yellow routes. The decision has been taken because the current timetable has become increasingly difficult to operate with an increase in road traffic over the years causing delays to services.

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Tramlink drivers to strike

Posted on Saturday 28 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

ASLEF drivers on London Tramlink are to go on two 24 hour strikes in November and December as the dispute over safety escalates. Ever since last year’s tragic derailment at Sandilands new ways to prevent similar incidents in the future have been looked at and recently a device has been installed in cabs which drivers feel has a health and safety risk. It is because of this new device that the two strike days have been called.

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Overhead problems for NET

Posted on Saturday 28 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

Services on Nottingham Express Transit were disrupted on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd October due to an overhead line fault. The fault was first reported at approximately 1700 on the Saturday and was affecting the section between Highbury Vale and Hucknall.

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More service diversions on Metrolink

Posted on Saturday 28 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

This weekend (28th and 29th October) will see more services diverted on Manchester Metrolink with the Second City Crossing (2CC) this time being closed throughout the weekend meaning that services will instead by diverted via the original city crossing. There are also amendments through Victoria.

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In Pictures: Car breaks down causing delays in Edinburgh

Posted on Saturday 28 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

Wednesday 25th October saw disruption on Edinburgh Trams after a car broke down across both lines on the city side of Haymarket. The car broke down at the start of rush hour and saw services unable to get into the city centre for 45 minutes.

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In Pictures: Bilston Road works continue

Posted on Saturday 28 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

In less than two months a full service should once again be running on Midland Metro once the track relaying is completed along Bilston Road. As the weeks go on further progress is evident with more new track now down and the final road surface added. There has also been good progress on the junction to the Wolverhampton City Centre extension in recent weeks. Andy Walters provides us with these latest images.

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Late night trams for Edinburgh Trams

Posted on Friday 27 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

Showing just how crucial Edinburgh Trams has become to transporting people around the area a late night service will run on Saturday 28th October with the last trams not leaving the city centre until shortly before 0100 (on Sunday 29th October). There are a number of events taking place in Edinburgh on this day including Hearts v Rangers at BT Murrayfield, Elrow at the Royal Highland Centre and partygoers celebrating Halloween. The final tram from the Airport to York Place will leave at 0011 with a return trip departing York Place at 0054.

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In Pictures: Ipswich 33

Posted on Friday 27 October 2017 by Gareth Prior

One tram which is rarely featured on these pages is Ipswich 33 which can appropriately be found at the Ipswich Transport Museum on static display. But we will remedy that today as we include a recent image of the tram in its usual home.

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