Community leaders back Metro Flow project

Posted on Wednesday 6 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

Council leaders and traders in South Tyneside have given their backing to the Metro Flow project which will see sections of the Tyne and Wear Metro track doubled allowing for an increase in frequency and thus capacity to help get the region moving as they come out of Covid. The £103 million project was confirmed in August with £95 million coming from the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund and also allows for the purchase of an extra four trains bringing the total of the Stadler built units to 46.

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Nottingham Contactless introduced for travel on NET

Posted on Tuesday 5 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

Nottingham Express Transit has become the latest tram operator in the UK to offer full contactless payments for travel with the introduction of “Nottingham Contactless”. This now means that anyone who wishes to purchase an adult single or day ticket can now do so by simply tapping their debit/credit card or mobile device with apple of Google pay at the start of their journey on the green validators located on all platforms.

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New modelling tool can predict demand for tram stops and lines

Posted on Tuesday 5 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

A new and innovative tool for forecasting demand for public transport stops and stations could be set to revolutionise the way new tram and light rail systems are developed in the future according to the UK Tram Centre of Excellence.

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Direct Debit gives £5 saving on West Midlands Metro

Posted on Tuesday 5 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

Anyone buying a Adult Metro Only Direct Debit Monthly pass for the first time – or the first time in at least three months – can now enjoy an extra £5 saving as part of a  new offer from West Midlands Metro. The offer has been introduced as more people are starting to return to work in the office following the lifting of Coronavirus restrictions to ease the cost burden in the short-term.

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In Pictures: Metrolink 3130 enters service

Posted on Monday 4 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

We are now just down to one new M5000 to enter service on Manchester Metrolink with 3130 entering service at the end of September/start of October. This is now the tenth of the new batch of trams being built for additional capacity on the network to enter service.

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Welcome to Tramtown!

Posted on Monday 4 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

The plans for a Visitor Centre at Rigby Road Depot in Blackpool are continuing to progress and we have a name for the attraction – Tramtown. The new name was unveiled during the Anniversary Weekend events in Blackpool on Saturday 25th September with the first of a new series of behind-the-scenes tours taking place on both days of the weekend. These tours will continue on Wednesdays for the rest of the year (up to and including 15th December) giving a glimpse of the past as well hearing about future plans for the Visitor Centre.

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Whatever Happened To? Crich Tramathon 2005 – Sheffield Works 330

Posted on Monday 4 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

Another Works Car not currently commissioned for service features in this edition of “Whatever Happened To?” as we view Sheffield Works 330 which also made it out onto the mainline during Crich’s 2005 Tramathon.

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Stop by Stop Blackpool Tramway: Norbreck

Posted on Sunday 3 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

“Stop by Stop” continues today as we work our way north on the Blackpool Tramway with Norbreck the next stop.

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Metrolink strikes back on after union members reject pay offer

Posted on Sunday 3 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

There will be major disruption on Manchester Metrolink later this month after Unite the Union confirmed their intention to strike over the continued pay dispute. It had appeared that the dispute had been resolved during September following a revised pay offer after negotiations between the two sides but despite Union officials recommending this was accepted by members it has now been rejected leading to planned strikes on 10th, 15th, 18th and 24th October.

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Maintenance works in Edinburgh City Centre

Posted on Sunday 3 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

The last week of September has seen essential maintenance works taking place in Edinburgh City Centre with reports in the Edinburgh Evening News revealing that this is to replace track sealant as well as repairs to degraded concrete surrounding the tracks. No tram services have been affected by the works with much taking place overnight although there have also been road closures during the day to allow the work to be completed.

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What’s New on British Trams Online? 3rd October 2021

Posted on Sunday 3 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

We have a small selection of photos from Manchester Metrolink at the start of September this week:

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In Pictures: More construction images from Edinburgh

Posted on Saturday 2 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

Within the next two years it should be possible to take a tram once again along Leith Walk and to Newhaven with the Trams to Newhaven project due to be completed in the early part of 2023 (subject to any unforeseen delays that is). But before we reach that time there remains a significant amount of work to be completed, although to the casual observer there has already been a lot of progress with utility diversions, track laying and platform construction all notable milestones achieved so far. In this latest pictorial update, Mike Haddon provides us with some images at various points of the extension taken in mid-September.

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In Pictures: Manx Electric Railway in September

Posted on Saturday 2 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

The Isle of Man’s Manx Electric Railway (along with the Snaefell Mountain Railway) are coming to the end of another successful season with the last services due to run on Sunday 31st October. Services on both lines are running every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the remainder of the season and for the MER this sees timetable C in operation requiring four car sets per day. In this pictorial update we from Jamie Moran we see some of the trams in service at the start of autumn on Wednesday 29th September 2021.

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Around the World in Trams: Amsterdam 649 & 635

Posted on Saturday 2 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

Its back to Amsterdam for this edition of “Around the World in Trams”.

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In Pictures: New safety measures on West Midlands Metro

Posted on Saturday 2 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

Over the summer new safety measures have been installed at various stops on the West Midlands Metro network. In a similar style to those seen on other UK tram networks – such as the Blackpool Tramway – wood has been placed in between the tracks at the stops while at the end of each stop the angled wood cattle grid type of contraption has also been put in place to prevent anyone deciding to go for a walk along the tracks.

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Out and About: On Nottingham Express Transit

Posted on Saturday 2 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

“Out and About” today takes a trip to the East Midlands as we feature images taken on the Nottingham Express Transit network (and read the article for some links to videos from NET too!).

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In Pictures: West Midlands Metro gets its own Pride Tram

Posted on Friday 1 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

We have seen over the past few years that Manchester Metrolink often gets a Pride Tram to coincide with the Pride event in the city. And now following in Metrolink’s footsteps is the West Midlands Metro with Urbos3 35 receiving some rainbow stripes in the windows of the end section.

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Newcastle 114 starts testing

Posted on Friday 1 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

Its been a long time coming – but then what hasn’t over the past 18 months or so! – but Newcastle 114 has now been reunited with its motors and has started to be testing on the tramway at Beamish as a precursor to it returning to service at some point in the future. You may recall that 114 was taken out of service over the winter 2019/20 period to allow a full overhaul of its motors to take place but before this work could be completed there was the small matter of a global pandemic which has delayed the end of the work.

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Nexus staff take a look at Stadler’s Switzerland plant where new Metro trains will be assembled

Posted on Friday 1 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

A team of staff from Nexus have recently headed over to Switzerland to take a look at Stadler’s St Margrethen plant where the new fleet of trains for the Tyne and Wear Metro are set to be constructed with the first due to arrive in the northeast at the end of 2022. The 8,500 square metre plant was only opened two years ago and is said to be one of the most state of the art manufacturing facilities in Europe.

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Picture in Time: Luas Sandyford Depot

Posted on Friday 1 October 2021 by Gareth Prior

We return to Dublin for this latest edition of “Picture in Time” as we take a look at one of the depots on the network.

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