Author Archives: Gareth Prior

Tram suspension after hotel fire

Posted on Saturday 13 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Evening services on the Blackpool Tramway between North Pier and Cabin were suspended during the evening of Wednesday 10th January following a fire in a closed hotel close to the stop at Wilton Parade. The fire was first reported at … Continue reading →

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Major disruption for Nottingham Express Transit

Posted on Friday 12 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

A major fire at Nottingham Railway Station helped to contribute to a bad day for services on Nottingham Express Transit, and this time around there could be no blame attached to NET. Both the Chilwell and Beeston lines didn’t see … Continue reading →

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Lune Tube visit Blackpool

Posted on Friday 12 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Last week we featured a video showing a Bradford tram body at Sunderland Point and as a follow up Lune Tube – who normally feature videos from North Lancashire – have been to Blackpool to find out more about the … Continue reading →

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Planning application made for Douglas Promenade

Posted on Thursday 11 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Another of those long-running sagas is that of the redevelopment of Douglas Promenade, which remains of interest to tram enthusiasts as it affects the future of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway. As reported in depth previously on these pages the … Continue reading →

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Centenary 646

Posted on Thursday 11 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

In this edition of Picture in Time we are back in Blackpool – or Fleetwood if you want to be completely precise – with an image of one of the much maligned, but vital, Centenary Cars.

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A busy year for Beamish

Posted on Wednesday 10 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

The tramway at Beamish enjoyed a very busy 2017 with 27,550 miles covered – a figure made all the more impressive by the fact that only five trams were operational at some point in the year, including Blackpool 147 which … Continue reading →

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Call to retain Summer Hill Stables in tramway ownership

Posted on Wednesday 10 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

It is another saga which seems as if it will never end, the future of the historic Summer Hill Stables which have been the home of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway trammers for over 140 years. Ever since Douglas Borough … Continue reading →

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Contractor appointed to construct Preston’s Guild Line

Posted on Tuesday 9 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Are trams going to run in Preston again? The on-off saga of the Guild Line has taken another turn for the better with the news that Preston Trampower Ltd have appointed Eric Wright Civil Engineering to construct the line. A … Continue reading →

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Picture in Time: Great Orme Tramway 4 & 5

Posted on Tuesday 9 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

We head off to North Wales for this edition of our archive photo series with a view on the Great Orme Tramway of the two trams which have operated the lower section service ever since opening in 1902.

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In Pictures: Manchester Metrolink T68s in store

Posted on Monday 8 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

It will be four years since the last T68s ran in service on Manchester Metrolink in 2018 but despite that period there are still four (including one T68A) which are stored at Trafford Depot. Shortly before Christmas Kevin James went … Continue reading →

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Petition launched to support Blackpool Tramway extension to Poulton

Posted on Sunday 7 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Could another extension of the Blackpool Tramway follow that due to open in 2019 to Blackpool North Station? It could if a petition recently launched has its way with a plea to commission a study into extending the tramway from … Continue reading →

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Increase in passengers for Luas

Posted on Sunday 7 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

2017 has seen another increase in passengers for Dublin’s Luas network with 37.6 million passenger journeys recorded over the 12 months. This was an increase of 10.26% of figures from 2016.

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Picture in Time: Midland Metro 01

Posted on Saturday 6 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

We travel back in time to the year 2000 for this edition of Picture in Time with the Midland Metro system the focus of our attention.

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Custom House DLR station to reopen

Posted on Saturday 6 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

After an 11 month closure the Docklands Light Railway station at Custom House is set to reopen to passengers on Monday 8th January. The station has been closed since 3rd February 2017 to allow for vital modernisation work and to … Continue reading →

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New crossing at Crumpsall

Posted on Saturday 6 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

The improvement works at Crumpsall stop on the Manchester Metrolink line to Bury have been continuing over the past few weeks with a new pedestrian crossing opening to passengers on Wednesday 3rd January. This new crossing replaces the old footbridge … Continue reading →

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Continued growth for Edinburgh Trams

Posted on Friday 5 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

The new higher frequency timetable introduced on Edinburgh Trams during 2017 has helped to contribute to a 19% increase in passenger numbers over the past 12 months. 6.6 million passenger journeys were recorded in 2017 – an increase of more … Continue reading →

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Where are they now? Bradford tram in Lancashire

Posted on Friday 5 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

As is well known when many of the UK’s original tram systems closed they sold off their redundant trams for further use with many ending up as holiday homes and sheds. One of these is believed to be a 1902 … Continue reading →

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloons 709, 708 & Coronation 644

Posted on Thursday 4 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

Heading back to Blackpool for this edition of Picture in Time with an image taken in the late 1960s.

Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Picture in Time | 1 Comment

In Pictures: Hogmanay changes for Edinburgh Trams

Posted on Wednesday 3 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

As has become the norm Hogmanay in Edinburgh City Centre means that tram services are suspended between West End Princes Street and York Place to allow for the celebrations to take place. 2017 leading into 2018 was no different with … Continue reading →

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Picture in Time: Modern Electric Tramways 7, 6 and Mobile Shop 01

Posted on Tuesday 2 January 2018 by Gareth Prior

In our first delve into the archives for 2018 we go back over 50 years ago to Eastbourne for an image taken of three trams on the Modern Electric Tramways operation on the Sussex coast before it headed over to … Continue reading →

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