It’s the news that many people have been waiting for – Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours are to return to action in October as part of the Lightpool Festival, and will then tours will continue to run for the remainder of the illuminations season.
As probably no-one reading these words will need reminding… all heritage tram operations in Blackpool were suspended in December 2024 by Blackpool Transport. Having reviewed the operations – which had been based out of Starr Gate Depot throughout the year because the main depot at Rigby Road was out of bounds – Blackpool Transport Managing Director Jane Cole made the decision to stop all heritage tram services with immediate effect.
In various statements released since it has been stated that the operations had become increasingly challenging – issues included depot space, tram movements and general safety, tram movements, general safety and maintenance conflicts.
After the announcement Blackpool Council and Blackpool Transport Services Limited have been working together to find a solution and that has now been found which will enable heritage trams to resume operations in October. In the statement making this announcement from the Council its said that “a programme of works has now been agreed which will see the necessary modifications made to enable heritage trams to run from the same depot as the modern fleet”.
Once these works are completed – as well as familiarisation for drivers etc. – it will be possible for them to run again and its planned their return will be during the Lightpool Festival between 15th October and 1st November. After that heritage tram tours will continue to run for the remainder of the Illuminations, which run until 4th January 2026.
Three trams are expected to be used to run these tours – the Western Train and HMS Blackpool along with a Balloon Car.
Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “I am delighted that we have found a solution has been found that will enable these much-loved trams to be back where they belong on the promenade later this year.
“From the outset we said that this would only be a temporary pause in the service and we would work to ensure they returned at the earliest opportunity. They are important part of the heritage of the town and the Council was always committed to securing their future.
“Lightpool is a hugely popular festival and the perfect time for visitors and residents to enjoy a tour on an illuminated heritage tram. I know many people have been concerned about the future of the trams and I hope this reassures them that their future is safe.”
Jane Cole, Blackpool Transport Services Managing Director, added: “It was a difficult decision to pause our heritage tram tours but a necessary step to take stock of the operational challenges we were facing. Since December we have been working hard to find a solution and we always aimed to have the trams running again this year. I am confident the plan we agreed is achievable and I look forward to welcoming customers back on-board in October.”
Further details of exact dates of tours will follow in due course.
Apologies for the delay in this article being published. There aren’t many guarantees in life but one of those is when I’m away (for work this time) there will be an important news story that breaks and I can’t get to a computer to write it!
Whilst obviously its good news that any traditional trams will be running in Blackpool again, I can’t shake the feeling that this heavily reduced form of heritage operation is all we’re ever going to get again. Indeed, had a fleet of just three operating trams for the latter part of the year been announced as the plan for 2025 a year ago, I’m sure it would have been greeted with outcry and disgust – but after the fears that heritage was doomed, its seen as a victory. If there was any way that such a limp offering would be accepted by the masses, then this was probably it.
I do feel increasingly pessimistic about heritage trams ever operating out of Rigby Road depot again though; the challenges in getting the old depot put back to a decent condition, let alone turned into a visitor attraction, just feel too great. Even if funding is somehow found for the building itself, its been mentioned recently that the tracks connecting the depot with the promenade are also of concern, so that’s another very costly problem. Maybe we will see a small static museum at Rigby Road, with a small number of heritage cars based at Starr Gate and running tours and private hires… we’ll have to wait and see but that’s my gut feeling. I hope we get to see Boats and Standards on the prom again, but I’m not banking on it!
The best that can be said is that, at least, it is a start. Perhaps the benefit of the doubt should be given, at least for the present?
I suspect, however, that BTS will need to be closely watched to ensure that there is no sly backtracking on this. Sorry about the pun, by the way.
I particularly enjoyed the comment attributed to the MD of BTS, however :-
‘Since December we have been working hard to find a solution and we always aimed to have the trams running again this year.’
I assume that the ‘solution’ involved making redundant the engineers who actually worked on the heritage cars, did it, Ms. Cole?
You do know there are other engineers with Heritage experience just as capable as the engineers who have left?
I only know this, from the ‘Blackpool Lead’ :- ‘Now, a source has told The Blackpool Lead that redundancies are being planned at Blackpool Transport and among those affected are engineers on the heritage tram service. Workers in HR, Operations Management and Tramway Management are also understood to be affected, though Blackpool Transport has not confirmed or denied what roles are at risk.
Apologies my comment should read
You do know there are other engineers with Heritage experience just as capable as the engineers who haven’t left? ie engineers with heritage experience.
Also I believe that is long since done and dusted now.
So are they adding an extension to the Starr Gate depot building to fit in the heritage trams? Will it be a permanent extension or a temporary inflatable bubble tacked onto the depot.????
They don’t need an extension, they can fit 5 heritage trams in Starr Gate anyway and did all last year. The issue isn’t around space at Starr Gate or how they can work them from Starr Gate as it’s happened for the last year. The only difference is the maintenance of the trams which will involve training some of the flexity engineers on the older fleet. How that will go is key to if they succeed in returning heritage in October. I suspect however, pressure from the council may actually see it happen. I hope it does. But I think we have seen the last of any real heritage operation beyond illuminated tours.
I would assume that the trams will simply be housed inside the existing depot complex. It was designed to hold 20 Flexity2 trams, with 10 roads inside – as they have a fleet of 18, that leaves one road free and you can easily fit the Western Train, the Frigate and a Balloon on it. Indeed, they housed more heritage cars than that at Starr Gate only last year!
Quite what needs to be done so this practice can resume, remains a mystery, as nobody at Blackpool Transport or Blackpool Council seems to think that commoners like us will be able to understand such complex matters!
I don’t see any mention of an extension either temporary or permanent at Starr Gate. If I remember correctly Starr Gate was designed to cope with up to 20 Flexity 2 units, 14 in stabling berths along with 6 maintenance berths. As the Flexity fleet comprises 18 units it leaves a small amount of space for accommodating a very small heritage fleet. Given that most of the heritage fleet are much shorter than the Flexitys it may well be possible to cope with 3 or 4 heritage cars even if they include the Western Train. Changes may be needed to deal with any routine maintenance requirements for heritage cars in an environment intended for Flexitys.
Starr Gate can cope with 4 to 6, depending which ones they are.
Is there room at Starr Gate for an extension to accommodate heritage cars?
A radical solution to the current woes may well be to keep a small portion of Rigby Road as the “Tramtown” museum for static display of trams awaiting restoration and build a new, purpose-built heritage running depot, with a Crich-style modern workshop, at Starr Gate.
Purists might object to abandoning the last first-generation tramshed in the UK but personally I feel like Rigby Road is increasingly becoming an obstacle rather than an asset.
I completely agree with you! Rigby Road depot feels more like a liability these days; I’d be happy to see it demolished IF it was replaced with a more suitable modern building in which to house a decent number of heritage trams.
Whilst the depot itself does have historic merit, I don’t see it as being that important personally, it is a pretty basic shed really.
No they will be in the main depot, same as they have always been when based there.
I did the Workshop Tour yesterdy, 19 May, and was told that the cars to be used from October would be based at Starr Gate.
Correct, we have always known they would be for the foreseeable future.
The important thing is that two very useful illuminated cars are set to return to service and these, of course, are excellent money spinners considering that in previous years tours on these have proven to be sell-outs. This should provide some income for the heritage service and ,most important of all, justify its continuation in whatever form. Such a service will help to see off any extra competition from road based vehicles, whether it be increased private car presence (more congestion) or coach tours, local or otherwise. These would have benefited from there being no alternative to taking a gamble on whether or not one’s view of the lights would be spoiled by contravision adverts. Now, however, trams offering a clear view of the Illuminations are due to take to the rails once more also offering the opportunity to ride on trams of a certain vintage.
They aren’t money spinners when used on very limited tours.
It depends on the nature of the tour. The Western Train ones planned for December and then immediately cancelled were likely to have brought in some £1,800 per trip.
I’d like to know what this magical ‘solution’ suddenly is? What were the ‘challenges’ for that matter? As BTS is owned by the council and the council is a body that is supposed to be answerable to the people who it serves (ie Blackpool’s residents) I think it’s time some questions were asked and some answers were forthcoming. Why hasn’t priority been given to the return to service of high-earning cars that the public enjoy riding on in the summer, such as Alice and the Boats? Dumping three not overly popular enclosed cars back out on the prom at the very end of the season is a stupid idea? Have you been to the illuminations lately? It’s not the jam-packed time of year it was 30 years ago. Take a look at the videos made by the excellent Walk on The Wild Side and you’ll see the early evening prom is often totally deserted and the illuminations are a mere shadow of their former selves.
Half-hearted token gestures… That seems to be what Blackpool excells at these days and the reason I’ve only visited once in the last 10 years.
Questions have been, and are being, asked. It is the answers which are, sadly, not forthcoming!
I’m probably one of the biggest critics of Blackpool Transport and their heritage operations, but even I take offense at the reference to “three not overly popular enclosed cars” – I’d argue that the Western Train is almost certainly the most iconic and popular tram in the whole fleet! Its not like we’re talking about 631, 648 and 707 here!
Yes, Boats in the summer would certainly be desireable and who knows, they might return next year (although personally I’m doubtful), but I suspect if most non-enthusiasts could pick one tram to see and ride on, it would be the Train!
Where do you suggest the money to rebuild Alice comes from? You won’t see it again, ever. I think its underframe was completed (but abandoned). I agree effort should have been put into boats, especially this weather. But the only way to make any real money from them is to go back to the short prom tours – an hour at £6 or whatever it will be now is too long for the majority.
The money should come from the money they have made when running. Which is where all BT’s money should come from! The problem with the company is that since the so-called “upgrade” they’ve lived off government grants etc and haven’t actually had to provide a service to have an income. Tours are NOT the answer. A hop on hop off service running all day every day is what should be operating. But as I’ve said before, they would never dare do that because it would prove what a waste of time, money and effort the Flex fleet is.
I suspect the answer in why the trams are coming back in October May be linked to the Blackpool Promotions sponsored Lightpool Festival and Christmas by the sea festival. I don’t have any info only a hunch, but it would certainly be reasonable to suspect that’s where the money has been found from. As has been said, information has been extremely limited from BTS.
You seem to be in total denial regarding the need for the system upgrade. The accessibility regulations dictated the need for full level boarding for an all day public service. The system as it existed in the early 2000s was no longer compliant with standards on a number of fronts and the upgrade was not optional. The Flexity fleet was not the waste of money you suggest. The only alternative at the time was total closure.
I simply do not understand why BTS is unable to put out a statement along the lines of “heritage trams were suspended because of X and cannot run again until X is done”. This lack of transparency is completely unwarranted – it’s trams for goodness’ sake, not nuclear secrets!
That being said, it is good news that the heritage trams will run again albeit in a limited capacity. Urgent clarification is still needed on the role of the wider fleet as many trams haven’t ran in years and the longer they stay dormant the harder it will be to get them going again.
I find the pessimism expressed in these comments very dispiriting and I must say, self-defeating. There’s very little imagination or vision and lots of doom and gloom. I’d say the tramway preservation movement as a whole needs to be careful not to let this negativity become a self-fulfilling prophecy – arguably, tramway preservation has a brighter and more secure future than heritage railways as they don’t require expensive non-renewable fuel and aren’t going to set surrounding vegetation on fire.
Blackpool’s heritage trams could be one of this country’s finest historic transport attractions – let’s do what we can to make that dream a reality. One day we’ll have 304, 143, 706, 279, maybe even the Hovertram and the Rocket on the prom together – and this period will be just be a bump in the road!
‘I simply do not understand why BTS is unable to put out a statement along the lines of “heritage trams were suspended because of X and cannot run again until X is done”. This lack of transparency is completely unwarranted – it’s trams for goodness’ sake, not nuclear secrets!’
I agree entirely. I have been posting similar comments on various sites since late December, with a depressing lack of success.
As an alternative,I have even resorted to watching Lancashire’s cricket team on YouTube. Now that is even more depressing, however!
There is one particular item missing from this debate. In good old Disneyesque terms – imagineering! The art of the possible.
Blackpool is supposed to be one of Britain’s foremost tourist centres – but you wouldn’t know it. Get one block back from the front and addled would not be an inaccurate description. Cheap tat would be one description – but it isn’t cheap but it is tat.
So what does the council do?? They let one of the few things that Blackpool is famous for die. For the last fifteen seasons the old cars have been systematically let go. The old cars have floors at the same height as the Bombardier vehicles – but they were deliberately not allowed to use the platforms. If you wanted to ride a heritage car you had to literally climb aboard. I’ve heard all about why it couldn’t be done – but never seen a written regulation – funny that!
Were the heritage cars made an inevitable part of tourist planning? No! Illuminations passengers at first made to wait in the cold and wet and then restricted to penny numbers by online booking and very restricted provision. Real Ale trips, Fish n chip comparison trips, Entertainment trips, sunset tours – not a chance!
Was there a structured programme of restoration and maintenance? No! In fact the experience that was there was allowed to fade away to impotence. And if no trams were available for service, strangely enough no revenue could be earned either.
We had one brilliant person inside the operation but I can only assume he was locked in a darkened room while all his support and technical staff disappeared one by one.
In the meantime the hundred year old pitched roofs at Rigby Road gave up their unequal contest with the wind and salt spray. Whipping the cladding off and replacing the glazing bars is as basic a job as you could have – but there’s an awful lot of it now.
So now distributing largesse and opium for the masses along come what pass for manijmunt today and try to tell us that three cars – presumably still restricted to online booking – in the cold and wet of autumn is a return to service.
No it isn’t and no it won’t be! and it will lose money hand over fist. Perhaps that is what Ms Cole and co want. Get Alice sold to SFO – there’s already three cars from Blackpool there and the PCC Cars and the De Winton cars, and its a democrat state so there is still hope too. There’s certainly enthusiasm and optimism, despite the orange tint.
Until I see balloons and boats, and heritage cars like we used to, and happy punters queuing to board them while the five piece slugs slide by unwanted and unloved, Blackpool will be what it is now – off my go to list.
I look at slides from 1985, and the first decade of this century and am just thnakful that I saw it. We may never see the like again with this shower of munters in the council chambers and the transport offices!
I would politely suggest that you haven’t tried all that hard to find any regulations regarding accessibility. The Non-Interoperable Rail Systems Accessibility Regulations 2010 detail accessibility requirements for both light and heavy rail systems and are referenced in the Light Rail Safety and Standards body guidance on tramways. The guidance document also covers the operation of heritage trams on existing and new networks.
But the Heritage cars had operated in conjunction with the Flexity fleet without any problems for over ten years.
Moreover, hasn’t the Office of Rail & Road confirmed, since December, that the decision to suspend Heritage operations was made solely by BTS, and was something in which they played no part?
As I understand it, the nine Balloons of the ‘B’ Fleet have been modified in order to be capable of operating normal services, whilst the ‘C’ Fleet are able to operate tours, where current LRV regulations do not apply.
RVAR 2010 regulations apply to a rail vehicle (as defined by the Instrument) that was first brought into service after 31 December 1998, except if it belongs to a class first brought into use before 1 January 1999.
The B fleet have NOT and never have been available for ‘normal’ service. They do NOT comply with accessibility regulations.
they were modified to allow easier access to board at platforms to run service extras and specials. And new grab rails etc inside to allow safer movement within the vehicle. They do not conform to requirements for mainline service (except in an emergency, which has happened once and a handful of times one has covered for a failed Flexity.)
An awful lot of interpretation by BTS was done and agreed by the then rail bodies back in 2008-12 when the upgrade was in planning and progress (and moxed new and old had never been done here). Some of that was (in hindsight) unnecessary and the ORR/DfT sometimes get unfairly blamed. I’m not sure some of the newer BTS bodies even realise this.
At the end of the day BTS is a transport company and must make decisions based on transporting people.
This is a direct quote from Blackpool’s Tramway Asset Management Strategy, Page 3 :-
‘The network operates on a combined service pattern of the LRT Bombardier Flexity2 Fleet
at varied intervals, supplemented by a B-Fleet and the Heritage Fleet during busier periods.
This delivers a 5-minute service headway during periods of greatest passenger demand.
All regular service trams are compliant to Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 1998
including some of the heritage stock that have been modified to provide inclusive access
for mobility impaired customers.’
Or this, from Page 11/12:
‘Future Demands on the Tramway.
The operation and maintenance of the Tramway will take into account future demands on the network, including:
Continued operation of the Heritage Fleet.
Continued operation of the B-Fleet during the “high” season and major events in Blackpool.
Restoration of the depot at Rigby Road.
Increased usage of the LRT Fleet due to the opening of the North Station Branch.’
It seems that your opinion, and that of BTS, are rather at odds with each other?
“We had one brilliant person inside the operation but I can only assume he was locked in a darkened”
Until people move past the idea that man was anything other than convincing actor who put on performances worthy of an Oscar we will never move forward. He has been the architect of so many of the flawed decisions.. He is the number 1 reason the operation is in the state its in.. Without his various hapeless interventions would have been in far better place
Looking at modern LRT systems eslewhere in Great Britain, no such issues about heritage operation ever arose given that the 1st generation systems had long closed and the new systerms were constructed from scratch, sometimes incorporating railway lines, either themselves closed or in need of an upgrade. As there was no continuity, there was no reason or indeed feasibility of introducing heritage trams from the former systems – Crich did the next best thing for many years and continues to do so very well indeed.
Blackpool is entirely different in that the 1st generation system survived until upgrade, an upgrade that largely preserved the original track alignments and catenary levels to permit the contiued use of the older tramcars. Another thing special about Blackpool is its Illuminations. By aligning the operation of heritage trams together with this event, it’s more likely, owing to the greater influx of visitors, that seats will sell. While true that prebookable tours will sell out as they often have done, as with show business, it must make more sense not to overprovide availability and avoid incurring costs that cannot be recouped. On many occasions in the past, I’ve witnessed Balloon trams along the promenade running almost empty and this can hardly be called cost-effective operation.
Of course the track within and leading to Rigby Road Depot is in very poor condtion, such that it would likely prove beyond the council’s means to rectify without cutting back maybe somewhere socially and politically unacceptable. As it is the bill to restore the depot itself must certainly be astronomical. These are situations that ORR won’t fail to notice in time and may be forced to act in the interest of safety. I think we must be very pleased that a few heritage trams can be accommodated at Starr Gate and should thank Blackpool Transport and its management for making this possible.
Geoff – can you point us all to the document source and the date it was written? You are very good at quoting without context. Any quote can prove a point if you want it to.
I gave this information in my original comment :-
The ‘ Tramway Asset Management Strategy.’ Dated 2022.
This is to the best of my knowledge the most recent Strategy Document in force. If it has been superseded, I am not aware of it. I have simply based my comments on the information currently available. My comments to date have been made by reference to documents readily available elsewhere, and I respectfully submit that your slur on my integrity that ‘You are very good at quoting without context’ was neither appropriate nor accurate. I have always believed this site to be for debate, rather than posts of a personal nature.
If the status of the ‘B’ Fleet has changed in any way since 2022 then both I, and, more seriously, BTS, are not aware of it.
This is very interesting, because the general understanding right from 2012 was they didn’t comply and certainly that is what BTS told everyone. I cannot currently lay my hands on the relevant act but certainly there was a 100% (or thereabouts) compliance date as I know Sheffield’s Trams technically now fall foul.
I fear it will be death by a thousand cuts for the heritage fleet by an administration that has zero real interest in trying to make it work. Except how they justify their withdrawal. Melbourne Australia is going through the same – small changes until eventually nothing is left without millions to be spent….
According to Railway Magazine for June, ‘Blackpool Transport has been working with the University of Huddersfield on a ‘plug and play’ overspeed prevention system for the heritage fleet.
As the magazine went to press, the company was unable to say if this would form part of the modifications prior to use of the three trams this autumn, or confirm its plans for the other heritage cars.’
I wonder if this might be relevant to the Railway Magazine article?
https://www.digitaltransit.co.uk/archives/4156