It is awards season across many different sectors and Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours are celebrating having won “Experience of the Year” at the Lancashire Tourism Awards.
The Lancashire Tourism Awards is the largest and only county-wide recognition of tourism excellence in Lancashire. They highlight outstanding achievements across various sectors of the visitor economy and showcase the top talent in Lancashire’s tourism industry.
It could be said that considering that all heritage tram operations were suspended late last year, this award win is a little bit awkward but it does look back at what had happened before and so it is a good recognition of all that the team achieved over most of 2024.
In a statement Blackpool Transport said: “A huge congratulations to Emma, Carl, and the entire Heritage Tram Tours team for their incredible hard work, dedication, and passion, which have been key to their success. Their unwavering commitment to providing an exceptional experience has truly set them apart, and this well-deserved recognition is a testament to their outstanding efforts. We couldn’t be prouder of their achievement!”
On the subject of the future of Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours, if you have been on social media or noticed the comments section on these pages a recent update was given to members of the Fylde Tramway Society. In this it was stated that they hope operations may resume in time for the illuminations with more significant work on the trams likely to be sub-contracted with the heritage workshop staff being redeployed or made redundant.
“made redundant”
So it was about money
At least those made redundant can refer to this award on their CVs when looking for new employment. I expect that as the Illuminations Tours are a useful money-spinner, Blackpool Transport would be loath to lose out on this lucrative operation. Therefore, I would expect that the Illuminated cars will become a priority, hence the need to sub-contract. No doubt those hoping for a heritage tram experience in Blackpool this year will be satisfied to some extent with a trip around the Lights, with 733/4 being especially popular given the many original features these trams dsiplay, lurking berneath their brightly-lit exteriors. Maybe a Balloon will also become available.
Once the vollunteers realise (indeed some already have) the trajectory will they actually want to be involved that final chapter? Indeed experience suggests that the operation will loose % of vollunteers during the lengthy “pause” with some finding new things to fill that void (or indeed returning to things they gave up previously).
I question how an entity (BTS) that reportedly has to find savings of £1.5 Million pound will be in any position to contract work out.. Even the flagship Western Train (repaint & rebulb asside) will need much more major work fairly soon… Even the Re-bulb the low quality product they opted for failure rate high.. Those hoping that the Council will step in just read there latest External Auditor Report.. Nearly half billion pounds borrowed…
I wonder if the illuminated cars can become a priority if the people with knowledge of their care & maintenance are made redundant or ‘redeployed’ in favour of some nebulous group of ‘subcontractors?’ I doubt that the North West of England is actually awash with large numbers of such people, experienced in such work.
More likely, simply an excuse to abandon heritage operations, without actually confirming the fact, for fear of a similar backlash to the one Ms. Cole received in December.
Who are they going to ‘contact out’ this heritage work to exactly? And how is paying a commercial company to employ craftspeople more cost effective than employing the craftspeople direct? Isn’t the middle-man going to want some cash somewhere along the line?
And what exactly are they doing that means the old trams can’t run until at least the illuminations? Bearing in mind the rail regulators said modern safety equipment is NOT required on the Blackpool heritage fleet.
Cole is covering something up!
By the time the illuminations come round, the backlash against the withdrawal of the Heritage operation will be all but forgotten.
Illumination Tours only……..
Will the Heritage Trams generally run all year round again?
Personally, I doubt it!
How many times do you all have to be told BTS have made the decision to look at safety equipment.
Whilst ORR have granted an exception no operator in their right mind would run half a fleet fitted with safety equipment and half not. I’m guessing possible insurance implications and certainly legal ones in the event of an incident!
And before anyone says look at how they do it abroad – that is totally irrelevant, this is the UK.
‘How many times do you all have to be told BTS have made the decision to look at safety equipment. Probably, until you accept that ‘safety equipment’ was simply an excuse for the suspension of the Heritage operations, perhaps?. Hints about COMPASS and ODAS being relevant, as suggested in Cole’s original statement, have been denied by ORR, and more recently even by Blackpool Transport Services themselves. You alone seem determined to cling to this blatant falsehood.
‘I’m guessing possible insurance implications and certainly legal ones in the event of an incident!’ As you say. You are guessing, or perhaps simply trying to justify something which cannot be justified? If the Heritage fleet abide by the relevant ORR regulations, then your argument is a false one.
‘And before anyone says look at how they do it abroad – that is totally irrelevant, this is the UK.’ Of course it is relevant. Perhaps you might explain how it is that those European cities which are able to operate their heritage vehicles in the midst of far more intensive, and more rapid, services than that which exists at Blackpool, and, furthermore, on roads where there is considerable vehicular traffic, are able to do so without safety concerns?
Surely you are not suggesting that BTS are less smart, or less professional, than their foreign counterparts?!!
Kind of ironic, isn’t it!
Maybe Blackpool Transport should decline the award.
Don’t talk rubbish
Hardly! Don’t be surprised if Jane Cole herself turns up to accept it.
Why shouldn’t they receive the award? This is for previous achievement rather than in respect of future plans. An award is hardly the same thing as finance for the continuation of the Heritage Service. It’s quite likely that operators abroad don’t need to work within the same stringent financial constraints as we do here. Even the transport museums are short of funding – forget about Blackpool and get to those museums while the opportunity still exists, ortherwise it could also soon be too late to support and experience them!
‘It’s quite likely that operators abroad don’t need to work within the same stringent financial constraints as we do here.’ So, you believe that the suspension was an overtly financial one, do you? You don’t consider that concerns expressed by, among others, the local MP, about the potentially adverse effects on Blackpool’s tourism, might be relevant factors?
It is just as likely that the oversea operators do have financial concerns of their own. Without actual knowledge one way or the other, might it not be better not to make vague assumptions or excuses?