Author Archives: Gareth Prior

Variotram 2555 enters passenger service

Posted on Sunday 22 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

The second of the Variotrams being built for London Tramlink has entered passenger service. 2555 was used in service for the first time on Thursday 12th April running from Therapia Lane to East Croydon and then two circuits of the … Continue reading →

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More Metrolink Delays

Posted on Sunday 22 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

Over the past few weeks there has been several more periods of disruption on the Manchester Metrolink due to tram failures, points failures…and ducks on the track! The Manchester Evening News ran stories on these periods of disruption making it … Continue reading →

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Edinburgh Lib Dems take a risk: vote us in and we will extend tram network

Posted on Sunday 22 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

The Liberal Democrats in Edinburgh seem to have taken a political risk in unveiling plans for extensions to the currently unpopular tram network before it has opened. At the present time the trams are deeply unpopular in the Scottish capital … Continue reading →

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Metrolink Service Performance Update

Posted on Sunday 22 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

The latest service performance statistics on the Manchester Metrolink system have been released on the TfGM Committee website – http://www.transportforgreatermanchestercommittee.gov.uk/download/4348/item_05_metrolink_service_performance. This latest report gives details on periods 9, 10 and 11 between Monday 12th December 2011 and Sunday 4th March … Continue reading →

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In Pictures: Mitcham track doubling

Posted on Sunday 22 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

The first of three planned closures between Mitcham and Mitcham Junction on the Wimbledon line of London Tramlink occurred over the four day Easter weekend. This led to a shuttle service operating every 15 minutes between Mitcham and Wimbledon with … Continue reading →

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In Pictures: Gleadless Townend Trackwork

Posted on Sunday 22 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

Over the Easter weekend there were engineering works on Stagecoach Supertram resulting in revised services and replacement buses. The work was concentrated on the crossover at Gleadless Townend. Click below for photos showing the work undertaken on a very wet … Continue reading →

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Metrolink T68 1011 becomes first to be withdrawn

Posted on Thursday 19 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

1011 has become the first of the T68s to be withdrawn from service on Manchester Metrolink after just 20 years service. As has been reported in the past few months following a number of high profile failures in traffic it … Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 1 Comment

Fare increases for Stagecoach Supertram

Posted on Thursday 19 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

From the start of service on Monday 30th April there will be some fare increases on Stagecoach Supertram with the £2.10 single fare increasing to £2.20 and the tram and bus dayrider fare increasing from £3.70 to £3.90. All other … Continue reading →

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DLR service alterations for London Marathon

Posted on Thursday 19 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

This year’s London Marathon will take place on Sunday 22nd April and as a result services on the Docklands Light Railway will be altered to cater for the increased passenger demand. Services from Tower Gateway, Lewisham, Beckton, Stratford and Woolwich … Continue reading →

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Tramlink 2548 receives all over advert

Posted on Wednesday 4 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

Recently all our attention on London Tramlink has been on the Variotrams and their exploits on test and in service but at the start of this week a surprise appeared on the tramway in the form of 2548 in an … Continue reading →

Posted in London Trams | 3 Comments

Variotram 2554 continues test passenger runs

Posted on Wednesday 4 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

On a visit to Croydon on Wednesday 4th April Variotram 2554 was noticed running in passenger service between Wimbledon and East Croydon. The tram is believed to have run these test passenger runs for at least four weekdays now but … Continue reading →

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Manchester Metrolink Engineering Works: 28th & 29th April 2012

Posted on Wednesday 4 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

There will be more engineering works on Manchester Metrolink over the weekend of Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th April which will mean no trams will run on the Bury line whilst all other lines will see service amendments.

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In Pictures: Mitcham Double tracking

Posted on Wednesday 4 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

With thanks to Ian Buck we provide some photos of the latest progress on the Mitcham double tracking project. This work will be ongoing over the next few months with several track closures required to allow this to happen, the … Continue reading →

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More Metrolink extension work leads to road closure

Posted on Wednesday 4 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

Work on the extension of Manchester Metrolink to Oldham and Rochdale is continuing to progress with the level crossing at Beal Lane due to attended to over the Easter weekend. As a result of this work Beal Lane will be … Continue reading →

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East Croydon gets the hump!

Posted on Wednesday 4 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

As part of the preparations to ensure that the Tramlink network is fully accessible to the new Variotrams, two small humps have been constructed at the ends of platform 2 (the central platform) to allow level boarding to the two … Continue reading →

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Manchester Metrolink Easter services

Posted on Wednesday 4 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

No engineering works are scheduled for the Manchester Metrolink over Easter and a Sunday service will be in operation on both Good Friday 6th April and Easter Monday 9th April.

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Variotram 2554 enters service

Posted on Saturday 31 March 2012 by Gareth Prior

Over the past few weeks enthusiasts have been debating whether Croydon’s Variotrams or Blackpool’s Flexity2s would enter fare paying passenger service first – well now that question has been answered with Variotram 2554 carrying passengers briefly on Friday 30th March. … Continue reading →

Posted in London Trams | 3 Comments

Fare rises for NET

Posted on Saturday 31 March 2012 by Gareth Prior

Tramlink Nottingham – new operators of Nottingham Express Transit – have announced that fares are to increase from Sunday 15th April with significant rises on day tickets, single fares and the Paypoint longer term season tickets. Despite the inevitable outcry … Continue reading →

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Ten trams now in Edinburgh

Posted on Saturday 31 March 2012 by Gareth Prior

Whilst our attentions have been turned towards tram deliveries in Blackpool, Croydon and Manchester the only modern tramway in Scotland has also been receiving new vehicles at regular intervals with ten of the CAF built trams now at Gogar Depot.

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Plans for Midland Metro extension through Dudley unveiled

Posted on Saturday 31 March 2012 by Gareth Prior

In the same week that Centro announced their “memorandum of understanding” with Birmingham City Council it has also been reported that they are once again planning an extension through Dudley. This extension would be part of a line between Wednesbury … Continue reading →

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