Heaton Park Tramway prepares to re-open for 2015

Posted on Thursday 12 February 2015 by Andrew Waddington

Manchester’s Heaton Park Tramway is set to re-commence public operations on Sunday 15th February, after a relatively short winter hibernation. This will be the first chance for members of the public to travel along the heritage tramway in 2015, with Blackpool Vanguard 619 and Manchester 765 both currently available for duty (so if any readers of this website decide to visit, warm clothing is advisable!).

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A new role for Blackpool Centenary 641

Posted on Thursday 12 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

After three Illumination periods it has been announced that the Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust’s Blackpool Brush 290 is to be replaced on the short section of display track adjacent to the Pleasure Beach loop and replaced by Centenary car 641. The Centenary car will redecorated to celebrate the Town’s football history and the FHLT are offering supporters of the Fylde coast’s premier football team the chance to see their names alongside images of some of the club’s favourite players.

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Posted in Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust | 6 Comments

In Pictures: Metrolink Second City Crossing track laying

Posted on Thursday 12 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

Manchester City Centre is the place to be at the moment if you want to see Metrolink construction works with three high profile projects currently underway. As well as the recently illustrated works at Victoria and Deansgate-Castlefield track is starting to be laid on the Second City Crossing and this small update shows some tracks now in place outside the National Football Museum. Photos courtesy of David Lloyd.

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Daylight testing commences on NET Phase Two

Posted on Tuesday 10 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

The next step towards the start of public services on Nottingham Express Transit’s Phase Two extensions has been made with the commencement of daylight testing in The Meadows and on to Wilford Lane. The first test runs took place on Monday 9th February with Citadis 223 the tram in use on this first day.

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Picture in Time: Sheffield 523

Posted on Tuesday 10 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

Nowadays if you think of the original Sheffield Tramway’s Roberts cars you think of the two preserved examples: 510 at Crich and 513 current at the East Anglia Transport Museum. But for our trip down memory lane today we feature a long-gone member of this popular class of trams: 523.

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Metrolink strike called off

Posted on Tuesday 10 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

It has been confirmed that the planned strike due to take place on Manchester Metrolink on Wednesday 11th February has been called off. MRDL and Unite met at ACAS on Monday 9th February and agreement was reached on an improved offer which will now be taken to the union members for another ballot but in the meantime the strike will not take place meaning normal services will run.

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In Pictures: Blackpool trams on driver training

Posted on Monday 9 February 2015 by Andrew Waddington

On Friday 6th February, two members of the Blackpool heritage fleet made winter appearances out on the tramway for driver training purposes. Both Fleetwood Box 40 and Balloon 700 were used for this role, and both trams were fitted with the familiar ‘L’ boards on their dash panels. Thanks to Chris Callan we are able to bring you some images of the duo at Bispham on their day out.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 4 Comments

Picture in Time: Manchester Metrolink T68s

Posted on Sunday 8 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

Today our Picture in Time goes back to 1992 as we take a look at Queen’s Road Depot on Manchester Metrolink – before the network had welcomed its first fare paying passengers.

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Metrolink reveal plans for St Peter’s Square stop transformation

Posted on Saturday 7 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

It has been confirmed that Manchester Metrolink services which normally run through St Peter’s Square are to be significantly altered from the summer due to the major transformation work due to take place here ahead of the opening of the Second City Crossing (2CC). The work is due to start in the summer (no exact date has yet been confirmed) and will continue for 14 months, during the first and last eight weeks of this period not trams at all will operate through the area but for the remaining 10 months a single line will remain open allowing limited services to run.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 12 Comments

Consultation launched for Sheffield tram-train Tinsley Chord

Posted on Saturday 7 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

Plans for the tram-train trial which will link Sheffield and Rotherham are progressing although hopes that it would be up and running by spring 2016 have now been dashed with no new start date announced. In order for tram-trains to run between Supertram and Network Rail metals a short section of track will need to be constructed to link the two and Network Rail and recently started a consultation into this 150 metre stretch of line.

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Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | 4 Comments

Glasgow Airport tram-train link could cause delays to other services

Posted on Saturday 7 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

A new Transport Scotland report has said that the plans for a tram-train service to Glasgow Airport could cause delays to some other services with other services also likely to have to be removed to make way for the plans. The report states that there would be a significant impact on the Glasgow to Paisley route.

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In Pictures: Victoria transformation works

Posted on Saturday 7 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

In less than two weeks time Manchester Metrolink services will once again stop at Victoria following 12 months of transformation works to prepare the stop for the Second City Crossing (2CC). As the countdown continues to the re-opening we bring you a photo update showing the latest state of play with the construction works both within the station complex and also on the approach from the city. Photos from Steve Kemp.

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In Pictures: Wolverhampton St George’s rail replacement update

Posted on Saturday 7 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

The much delayed rail replacement work at Wolverhampton St George’s is continuing as this picture update shows. The track in the second platform (roadside) has now been completely removed and is not due to be replaced with both tracks on the approach to the terminus now leading to the long-time preferred platform. Work is also ongoing on the approach to St George’s. It is planned that services will be able to run all the way through to the northern terminus at some point in March. Photos courtesy of Andy Walters.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 5 Comments

In Pictures: Deansgate-Castlefield refurbishment

Posted on Saturday 7 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

As well as the major transformation works at Victoria (see separate story) works continue to take place at Deansgate-Castlefield which will end up with three platforms once these are completed. Work has now moved onto reconstructing the outbound platform and the old structure here has been removed and will now be rebuilt. All services continue to use the new island platform until the work is finished, which is scheduled to be this summer. Photos taken by Steve Kemp.

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Expanded Midland Metro Depot officially opened

Posted on Saturday 7 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

The newly expanded Midland Metro depot at Wednesbury has been officially opened following the completion of the £13.8 million project. Cllr Darren Cooper, the leader of Sandwell Borough Council and also a member of the West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority, was on hand to do the honours this week at the culmination of the two year project.

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Manchester Metrolink Performance Update

Posted on Saturday 7 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

It is almost time for the Metrolink and Rail Networks sub-committee of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee to meet again, for the first time in 2015, and that means that we can once again bring you the latest Metrolink performance statistics. Periods 8 (Monday 10th November to Sunday 7th December 2014) and 9 (Monday 8th December 2014 to Sunday 4th January 2015) are under review this time around and we round-up the report with details on the service performance, details of major incidents, the LRVs themselves and the number of complaints received.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Brush 295

Posted on Friday 6 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

Blackpool Brush Railcoach 295 is the latest subject of our trip down memory lane as we take a “Picture in Time” from 1967.

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Balloon 715 comes alive

Posted on Friday 6 February 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The Blackpool Heritage Trust have provided a welcome update on the current work being lavished upon Blackpool Balloon 715, which should enable this tram to be used in service this season for the first time since November 2011. Work is progressing very well and a milestone was reached on 5th February, when the tram was really brought back to life as it took power for the first time since returning home from a period of outside storage at Marton.

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3013 returns to service with 3087 not far behind

Posted on Thursday 5 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

Long term absentee 3013 has finally returned to service – almost two years to the day since it was involved in a collision with a lorry on the Eccles line. 3013 was used on the Bury to Abraham Moss shuttle service on Tuesday 3rd February and also worked on this circuit the following day as it is reintroduced to service.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 1 Comment

Metrolink staff to strike over pay dispute

Posted on Thursday 5 February 2015 by Gareth Prior

It has been announced that members of the Unite working on Manchester Metrolink are planning to strike on Wednesday 11th February in an ongoing dispute over pay. RATP Dev Ltd – the operators at Metrolink – have been negotiating with the union since last May over pay and it is understood that a 3.5% deal over two years has been offered but this has been rejected by members. It would just so happen that 11th February sees a home match for Manchester United when a large number of passengers would be expected to travel on Metrolink to get to the game and Unite have admitted that the date of the strike has been timed deliberately. Talks will continue between the two sides over the next week to try and resolve the issue but if this is not possible it is likely that Metrolink services will be severely affected by the action.

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 9 Comments