Crich kick off the 2013 season

Posted on Friday 22 February 2013 by Andrew Waddington

Saturday 16th February saw the start of the 2013 operating season at Crich Tramway Village. Although the site had been open to visitors on a number of occasions already this year, the emphasis had been placed on various activity sessions with no tram rides offered. However, with the process of commissioning the operating fleet for another busy year well underway, that all changed when the first passengers of 2013 were carried.

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Rochdale here we come!

Posted on Wednesday 20 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

The latest Manchester Metrolink extension has now been given an official opening date with the news that the line between Shaw & Crompton and Rochdale Railway Station will open to passengers from Thursday 28th February – little over a week away. The full shadow running started operation on Monday 18th February and has been continuing all week and this has obviously not shown any problems so TfGM are confident enough to go public with the opening date. The first revenue earning service will depart Rochdale at 0559 and the first tram to Rochdale will be departing Victoria at 0608. Unlike the East Manchester Line there will be no free preview service for locals before opening.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 29 Comments

DDRG visit Rochdale line as opening date approaches

Posted on Tuesday 19 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

Members of Transport for Greater Manchester’s Disability Design Reference Group (DDRG) have recently become some of the first passengers to be carried on Metrolink’s extension of the Oldham and Rochdale line between Shaw & Crompton and Rochdale Railway Station as they took a trip on a test tram to inspect the new stops to see how they meet the needs of disabled people.

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Adham breaks the record in Nottingham

Posted on Tuesday 19 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

As we reported last week urban transport enthusiast Adham Fisher, from Leicester, was attempting to break his own record for the length of time it took him to visit every stop on Nottingham Express Transit at the weekend – and he did it, taking around five minutes off his previous time.

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In Pictures: Metrolink driver training to Rochdale

Posted on Saturday 16 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

As reported earlier this week driver training has now started on the section of the Oldham and Rochdale line between Shaw & Crompton and Rochdale as an opening date approaches (although no official word from TfGM has yet been forthcoming). British  Trams Online reader Ken Walker provides us with a few images of the driver training featuring 3061 and 3059.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 15 Comments

Midland Metro to close for upgrade works

Posted on Saturday 16 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

The entire Midland Metro line between Birmingham Snow Hill and Wolverhampton St George’s is to close for just over two weeks as part of the £128 million project to extend and improve the line. During this closure work will primarily focus on modification work at the stops on the line to enable the new CAF built trams to operate when they are introduced next year.

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In Pictures: More from the East Manchester Line

Posted on Saturday 16 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

As reported extensively over the past week the East Manchester Line of Manchester Metrolink started passenger services on Friday 8th February (the first three days should have been for local residents in possession of a special ticket only) before full commercial services commenced officially on Monday 11th February. As well as a Photo Gallery from the first day of commercial services (coming soon!) we also bring you a few more images from the camera of Ralph Oakes-Garnett of trams running during the preview service on Friday 8th February.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 3 Comments

RAIB release report into pedestrian being hit by tram in Croydon

Posted on Saturday 16 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch’s latest report has been released looking into the incident on 16th May 2012 when a pedestrian was hit by a tram at Sandilands becoming trapped between the platform edge and tram. Although the report states that the main reason for the incident was that the pedestrian had not looked to see if a tram had been approaching before attempting to cross the tram tracks it also puts the blame on Tramlink for not being able to reduce the risk of people being hit by trams on foot crossings.

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Bridge slides into place over Nottingham Railway Station

Posted on Saturday 16 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

The first section of the iconic bridge that will be carrying trams over Nottingham Railway Station by the end of next year has started to be slid into place as a significant milestone in Phase Two of Nottingham Express Transit has been reached.  The movement of the first half of the bridge – which has been built on four temporary towers in a compound on
Crocus Street – will take eleven consecutive nights to be put into its final resting place with work starting on Monday 11th February.

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Mayor still backs Tramlink extensions?

Posted on Saturday 16 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, has said that he is still keen to see extensions to the Tramlink system but that, as always, it all depends on funding. Mr Johnson was replying to an open letter from the Chairman of the Develop Croydon Forum, Richard Plant when making his comments and he said that TfL continue to work closely with Bromley, Croydon, Merton and Sutton to look at any economic benefits which could be gained by an extension.

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Manchester City stars voice East Manchester Line on matchdays

Posted on Thursday 14 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

Passengers travelling to the Etihad Stadium on matchdays will be greeted by special next stop announcements as Manchester City stars will feature on the PA system announcing the stops! Three players and manager Roberto Mancini have kindly agreed to record the messages which will make their debut on Sunday 17th February when Manchester City entertain Leeds United in the FA Cup – the first time that a football match will be taking place at the Etihad since the East Manchester Line opened this week.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 6 Comments

Tram Network Record Attempt

Posted on Thursday 14 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

Adham Fisher is attempting this weekend to break his own world record this weekend by visiting all of the stops on Nottingham’s tram network in under an hour. In 2010 Adham recorded a time of one hour and 26 seconds but believes he can go faster and has decided to choose Nottingham for his first urban rail race of 2013.

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Posted in Nottingham Express Transit | 1 Comment

Nottingham Express Transit Engineering Works: 25th February-1st March

Posted on Thursday 14 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

Track maintenance work at Bulwell will see all late trams to and from Hucknall cancelled and replaced by buses from Monday 25th February until Friday 1st March 2013. The last tram to Hucknall will depart Station Street at 2100 arriving at Hucknall at 2132 as per the normal timetable. This will then form the final departure of the night from Hucknall to Station Street at 2142. After this all trams will run between Station Street and Phoenix Park with a replacement bus service running from Phoenix Park to Hucknall serving all stops. Further details on the replacement bus service can be found at http://www.thetram.net/pdfs/Bulwell%20Disruption%20Information%20and%20Timetables.pdf.

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Five for £5 offer returns on NET

Posted on Thursday 14 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

The Five for £5 family ticket is returning to Nottingham Express Transit in time for the February Half Term holidays – around a year since this popular ticket was first introduced. For just £5 two adults can enjoy unlimited travel across the NET network along with up to three children (both adults and children must be in the party). The ticket will be available again between Saturday 16th and Sunday 24th February.

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August launch for Leeds horse tram

Posted on Wednesday 13 February 2013 by Andrew Waddington

The Leeds Transport Historical Society have announced that Leeds 107 is set to be launched into public service at a special transport event due to be held at the Middleton Railway over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Members of the Society have been working tirelessly for several years to restore 107, the last surviving Leeds horse tramcar, which is now nearing completion.

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Posted in Leeds Transport Historical Society, National Tramway Museum | 1 Comment

Beamish prepare to install new depot wiring

Posted on Wednesday 13 February 2013 by Andrew Waddington

The long-awaited completion of Road 4 in the tram & bus depot at Beamish Museum has moved a step closer to completion this week, following the erection of new brackets and hangers to the overhead poles on the track fan leading up to the most recently installed track. Since being laid, Road 4 has not been served by overhead wires but this latest work indicates that soon, this will be resolved.

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Crich tramway re-awakens from hibernation

Posted on Monday 11 February 2013 by Andrew Waddington

Signs that the spring is almost here are certainly not in short supply at Crich Tramway Village, where the process of preparing the operational tram fleet for service is now well underway. Saturday 9th February was a particularly noteworthy day, as for the first time this year, trams ran along the main line, ahead of their public debut which is expected on February 16th.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 3 Comments

A good day for Metrolink!

Posted on Monday 11 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

On the day that the East Manchester Line officially opened to the public (even if to all intents and purposes it had been open since Friday 8th February) it was announced by Transport for Greater Manchester that driver training has now commenced as far as Rochdale Railway Station on the Oldham and Rochdale Line. The first official departure from Piccadilly Station to Droylsden left at 0510 on Monday 11th February and later the same morning the first day of full driver training commenced between Shaw & Crompton and Rochdale Railway Station.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 16 Comments

East Manchester Line welcomes first passengers as trams run to Droylsden

Posted on Sunday 10 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

Although the official opening of the East Manchester Line between Piccadilly Station and Droylsden is not due until Monday 11th February the introductory service initially intended as a thank you to local residents has seen passengers carried since Friday 8th February – and not only local residents with the special tickets!

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Metrolink Fleet Update: More M5000s in service as the end approaches for T68As

Posted on Sunday 10 February 2013 by Gareth Prior

There has been movement in the Manchester Metrolink fleet in recent weeks with further M5000s entering the operational fleet whilst the future is looking rather bleak for the six T68As as they are now restricted to the Bury-Altrincham direct service and will only be used on that if there are insufficient M5000s available.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 29 Comments