Author Archives: Gareth Prior

In Pictures: Final Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours Enhanced Weekend of 2023

Posted on Thursday 28 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

The weekend of Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th September saw the final Enhanced Weekend of “hop-on, hop-off” tours for Blackpool’s heritage trams this year. The service offered has gradually evolved during 2023 with the standard pattern now seeing five heritage … Continue reading →

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NET strikes off after latest offer accepted

Posted on Thursday 28 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

The GMB Union have confirmed that their members working on Nottingham Express Transit have accepted the latest pay offer made to them by management which has led to the planned strikes due to start on Friday 29th September for ten … Continue reading →

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Revised plans confirmed for Heaton Park Tramway End of Season Gala

Posted on Thursday 28 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

Volunteer availability this weekend has meant that the original plans for the End of Season Gala at the Heaton Park Tramway on Sunday 1st October have had to be scaled back slightly but despite that they are still pulling out … Continue reading →

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In Pictures: Adverts and lots of them in Manchester!

Posted on Wednesday 27 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

There seems to have been a bit of a splurge of new adverts on Manchester Metrolink recently with companies taking the opportunity to use the power of adverting on the trams to publicise their products – ranging from those who … Continue reading →

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In Pictures: Latest from the Birmingham Eastside extension

Posted on Wednesday 27 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

We may now have finally seen the opening of the West Midlands Metro extension to Wolverhampton Railway Station but that does not equal the end of construction work for the Midland Metro Alliance as there remain two further extensions which … Continue reading →

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Metro Flow named best new rail engineering project

Posted on Wednesday 27 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

Metro Flow, the £104 million project to increase capacity on the Tyne and Wear Metro, has been recognised at the National Rail Awards. It was named Major Project of the Year at the prestigious ceremony whilst the Metro Customer Service … Continue reading →

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In Pictures: London Transport 1858 in service at East Anglia’s Trolleybus Weekend

Posted on Tuesday 26 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

Every year in September, the East Anglia Transport Museum run their “big” event of the year: Trolleybus Weekend. With their extensive fleet of trolleybuses in use throughout the weekend (which includes late night running on the Saturday evening) the trams … Continue reading →

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Edinburgh Trams nominated for Global Light Rail Award

Posted on Tuesday 26 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

It’s a year where the award nominations for Edinburgh Trams just seems to have kept on coming and it shows no signs of ending after it was confirmed that they are up for a number of awards at the forthcoming … Continue reading →

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Record numbers carried on Metro during Great North Run – despite flooding disruption

Posted on Tuesday 26 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

Over 100,000 passengers travelled on the Tyne and Wear Metro to get to and from the Great North Run on Sunday 10th September, despite the fact that services were severely disrupted following the event due to heavy downpours causing flooding. … Continue reading →

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In Pictures: More new adverts in Edinburgh

Posted on Monday 25 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

It looks as if there are some things more certain than death and taxes – new adverts in Edinburgh! The past few months have seen a major influx of new contracts and two trams not previously pictured here are 255 … Continue reading →

Posted in Edinburgh Trams | 3 Comments

Increase in penalty fare cost on Metrolink confirmed

Posted on Monday 25 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

Transport for Greater Manchester have confirmed that the cost of travelling without a ticket on Manchester Metrolink will be £120 from 24th September as part of their ongoing efforts to tackle fare evasion. This is an increase of £20 and … Continue reading →

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Out and About: West Midlands Metro – Urbos3s in service

Posted on Monday 25 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

We go “Out and About” again today and the location this time around is the West Midlands Metro.

Posted in Out and About, West Midlands Metro | 4 Comments

Stop by Stop Edinburgh Trams: Newhaven extension – Picardy Place

Posted on Sunday 24 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

After eight week we come to the end of our journey along the Edinburgh Trams Newhaven extension as we reach Picardy Place.

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Telford Steam Railway get chance to secure boiler for their steam tram

Posted on Sunday 24 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

Back in April we reported that the Telford Steam Railway were launching a fundraising appeal to allow their narrow gauge steam tram engine to return to service. At the time they were looking to raise around £20,000 for the construction … Continue reading →

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GMB Union members to take Metrolink strike action

Posted on Sunday 24 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

Cleaning staff on Manchester Metrolink are to take three days of strike action after voting in favour of industrial action. The ballot was taken after the terms and conditions of the staff are said to have been eroded since the … Continue reading →

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In Pictures: Metrolink 3079 says “yellow” to the Bee Network

Posted on Saturday 23 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

Manchester’s new Bee Network will officially be launching from 24th September 2023 and in preparation for this Metrolink 3079 has received a new advertising livery as it asks you to say “yellow” to the new public transport network in the … Continue reading →

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Around the World in Trams: Riga 51765

Posted on Saturday 23 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

In this latest edition of “Around the World in Trams” we return to the Latvian capital city of Riga.

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Retired drivers swap the Metro for Beamish!

Posted on Saturday 23 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

Three retired drivers who used to work on the Tyne and Wear Metro have found a new lease of life at Beamish where they are now playing the role of miners at the Colliery at the world famous museum.

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Sherlock Holmes statue back at Picardy Place

Posted on Saturday 23 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

In preparation for the official reopening of Picardy Place island later this month a much missed statue has been returned – and its elementary as the Sherlock Holmes statue is back in position. The statue was removed in 2018 during … Continue reading →

Posted in Edinburgh Trams | 1 Comment

In Pictures: Supertram 120 gets rainbows

Posted on Friday 22 September 2023 by Gareth Prior

Stagecoach Supertram 120 seems to have something against fleet livery as following the expiry of the contract for its all advert for The Full Monty television series it hasn’t returned to standard colours – meaning the last time it saw … Continue reading →

Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | 1 Comment