In Pictures: York Place closed as its all change on Edinburgh Trams

Posted on Thursday 10 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

Wednesday 9th February was, as expected, the last day that trams would be running in passenger service from the York Place terminus with it being closed from the following day to allow further work on the Trams to Newhaven project to take place. Whereas often you see something close and then wait and wait for something to happen the work crew moved in straight away to set about removing the stop.

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In Pictures: More work on the Blackpool Tramway extension

Posted on Thursday 10 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

We are back up at the old Wilko’s site which will be the terminus of the Blackpool Tramway extension to Blackpool North Station in this latest pictorial update as we see that there has been some further work – some of it may appear that its a bit of a backward step but there has also been good progress on the tramstop which now features shelters.

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Track renewals on the Tyne and Wear Metro in Gosforth

Posted on Thursday 10 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

Services on the Tyne and Wear Metro in the Gosforth area will be suspended for two weekends over the next month to allow for a major programme of track renewal to happen. Tracks – including the junction – will be replaced between South Gosforth and Regent Centre over the weekends of 12th/13th and 5th/6th March which will mean there are no trains between Airport and South Gosforth.

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In Pictures: Track starts to go down in Dudley

Posted on Wednesday 9 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

We only reported at the end of January that the first track had been delivered to Dudley in readiness for installation on Castle Hill and now less than halfway through February and the first sections are down! This is the first signs of progress that yes trams are returning to Dudley with all previous work on the Brierley Hill extension having really been preparation for this sort of work to take place.

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Warnings in Edinburgh of extra costs for Council to make-up fares shortfall

Posted on Wednesday 9 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

If you’ve travelled on any form of public transport over the past couple of years you can’t have failed to notice that passenger numbers have had a drastic fall as a result of a certain global pandemic. Whilst some of the last revenue this has caused has been covered by government grants (from both the respective English and Scottish governments) that funding will soon end and there comes the question of what next as it is likely to be quite some time before passenger numbers even start to approach 100% of previous levels. And when the trams are as political as they are in Edinburgh that question is asked a lot louder and with it being confirmed that the City of Edinburgh Council are to provide over £9 million in funding to cover lost revenue the ever present debate has once again started.

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Out and About: Heritage trams on tour in Blackpool

Posted on Wednesday 9 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours started their 2022 programme of tours on Saturday 8th January with both Coastal and Promenade Tours now running on selected dates throughout 2022. In this latest “Out and About” we see the tram in use for the first day of tours.

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In Pictures: Traction pole fire leads to Blackpool Tramway problems

Posted on Tuesday 8 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

Services on the Blackpool Tramway – both the core Starr Gate to Fleetwood service and planned Heritage Tram Tours – were disrupted on Sunday 6th February after  fire at the base of a traction pole just south of the exit to Pleasure Beach loop. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene with Blackpool Transport’s Engineering Car 754 also on the scene.

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In Pictures: A different tram in service on the West Midlands Metro

Posted on Tuesday 8 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

Since trams returned to service in December on the West Midlands Metro after the month-long suspension it has pretty much been the case that its been the same trams in service most of the time with very different trams seen running which, as we have seen, has led to further tram shortages and service reductions. But there has been a positive development this week with 34 noted in service for the first time since around the end of November.

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Pay dispute looming on Tramlink?

Posted on Tuesday 8 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

Over the past few months we have seen pay disputes in the news on both Manchester Metrolink and Nottingham Express Transit and now it appears that London Tramlink could be the next to hit the headlines. The previous three year pay deal on London Tramlink expired in November 2021 and so a new deal is overdue but recent discussions between the ASLEF union and management at Tram Operations Limited seem to have reached an impasse leading to threats of a formal dispute looming.

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In Pictures: A slight change for 111’s Pretty Little Thing advert

Posted on Monday 7 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

Having carried advertising vinyls for Pretty Little Thing.com for almost four years (originally applied in April 2018), Stagecoach Supertram’s 111 has recently seen a slight change in its advert. At a quick glance you would be forgiven for not realising there has been a change but when you look closely you can see that there has been a slight change-up.

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In Pictures: Farewell to York Place – Part Two!

Posted on Monday 7 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

This is the second part of our articles looking at trams in and around York Place before it closes and is removed as part of the Trams to Newhaven project. The final trams will be leaving this stop at the close of service on Wednesday 9th February and then for two months all services from the Airport will be terminating at West End before St Andrew Square is used as the end of the line all the way through until the full extension opening in 2023. The photographer this time is Robin Barnes.

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Still Standing! Marton Depot, Blackpool

Posted on Monday 7 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

Every Monday throughout February sees the return of the popular “Still Standing” series as we look at old tram structures which are still in existence today. In this edition we are off to Blackpool as we take a look at one of the old tram depots on the inland routes at Marton.

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Stop by Stop Nottingham Express Transit: Central – Radford Road

Posted on Sunday 6 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

Having reached Wilkinson Street in the last edition of “Stop by Stop” we now turn around to feature the two citybound stops on the Hyson Green loop.

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Metro performance goes up!

Posted on Sunday 6 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

After a couple of months where performance on the Tyne and Wear Metro seemed to be a downward spiral there is a bit of good news to report as the four weeks over the Christmas and New Year period saw an increase, albeit not to the same levels as the previous year.

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Out and About: Another new tram in service on the West Midlands Metro

Posted on Sunday 6 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

Its time for another edition of “Out and About” and the system for this latest foray into some topical images of trams in the British Isles is the West Midlands Metro.

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What’s New on British Trams Online? 6th February 2022

Posted on Sunday 6 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

We are heading back to May 2009 for this week’s set of photos as we take a look at events held at the Crich Tramway Village to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first trams arriving on site:

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In Pictures: York Place prepares to say goodbye to trams

Posted on Saturday 5 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

With Edinburgh Trams’s York Place stop closing in just a few days – last departures on 9th February – in the coming days we will be sayign farewell to the stop with several pictorial articles of trams at York Place. We start with this early February collection from John Hampton.

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Around the World in Trams: Kolkata Works Car RS3

Posted on Saturday 5 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

In our final visit to India we this time feature one of the works fleet on the Kolkata system.

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Can you help the Brighton Tram 53 Society?

Posted on Saturday 5 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

Whilst we often look at tram restoration with the larger more visible groups there are also many small groups of volunteers in various locations around the country who are involved in restoring trams and one of those can be found on the South Coast. Restoring the last remaining passenger tram from the Brighton Corporation Tramways system, the Brighton Tram 53 Society have been making excellent progress but have now become stuck and so need some help with acquiring some parts.

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Out and About: A wet day in Edinburgh

Posted on Saturday 5 February 2022 by Gareth Prior

In this edition of “Out and About” we are back in the Scottish capital on a wet last day of 2021.

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