Picture in Time: Blackpool OMO 1 & Jubilee 761

Posted on Friday 4 June 2021 by Gareth Prior

As we return to Blackpool again for “Picture in Time” we are featuring a photo which was captured in the October of 1981.

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Lockdown Walks: Stagecoach Supertram 115

Posted on Friday 4 June 2021 by Gareth Prior

In this instalment of “Lockdown Walks” we are in Sheffield as we view another of the trams which operates on the Supertram network.

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In Pictures: Volk’s Electric Railway returns to operation for 2021

Posted on Thursday 3 June 2021 by Gareth Prior

Saturday 29th May was a busy day for heritage lines to resume operation – Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours and Snaefell Mountain Railway both ran their first services this year (and for the Snaefell line it was the first operation since 2019) as did Brighton’s Volk’s Electric Railway. Having last operated on 31st October 2020 the VER had been undergoing training and testing in the lead up to the resumption of public services which has seen two pairs of trains in operation on most days so far.

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Preparatory work for tracklaying on Birmingham Eastside extension to get underway in June

Posted on Thursday 3 June 2021 by Gareth Prior

With work already underway on extensions of the West Midlands Metro to Hagley Road in Edgbaston, Wolverhampton Railway Station and Brierley Hill, it has now been confirmed that the first “spades on the ground” will be seen on the Birmingham Eastside extension to Digbeth from Sunday 6th June. This will see preparatory works started to lay track along Lower Bull Street and will necessitate a closure of the road to vehicles.

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Stop by Stop Nottingham Express Transit: Toton Lane line – Beeston Centre

Posted on Thursday 3 June 2021 by Gareth Prior

We have now passed the halfway point of stops on the Toton Lane line on Nottingham Express Transit and reach Beeston Centre – a stop unlike any other!

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Lockdown Walks: Manchester Metrolink 3091

Posted on Thursday 3 June 2021 by Gareth Prior

“Lockdown Walks” is back as we are again in Manchester for another view of Metrolink’s extensive fleet of M5000 trams.

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MTMS rewarded with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

Posted on Wednesday 2 June 2021 by Gareth Prior

The Manchester Transport Museum Society, who’s members run the Heaton Park Tramway in Manchester, are celebrating after being awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK and the MTMS are one of just 241 organisations to have received the award in 2021.

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Normal tram service to resume in Edinburgh!

Posted on Wednesday 2 June 2021 by Gareth Prior

Its been a long time coming but Monday 7th June will see a normal service resume all day, every day on Edinburgh Trams – the first time in 16 months that a full service will have run! With trams running from every seven minutes throughout the day this will add extra capacity to the network as most of Scotland moves into Level 1 with the easing of restrictions and the expected increase in passenger numbers that will bring.

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Still Standing! Ipswich Tram Depot

Posted on Wednesday 2 June 2021 by Gareth Prior

This time in “Still Standing” we take a trip to Suffolk to view the former tram depot in Ipswich which is another structure which has remained in transport use throughout its life.

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Lockdown Walks: Stagecoach Supertram 106

Posted on Wednesday 2 June 2021 by Gareth Prior

Out to Sheffield again for this edition of “Lockdown Walks” as we head to the Middlewood terminus.

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In Pictures: A diverted Tram-Train service in Sheffield

Posted on Tuesday 1 June 2021 by Gareth Prior

Monday 24th May saw further delays on the Stagecoach Supertram network with the issues this time causing the Tram-Train service to be temporarily diverted away from Cathedral and running through to Sheffield Station instead. This meant there was the rare daytime use of south-eastern side of the Park Square junction which usually only sees early morning and evening services operate over it.

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TfL agree another funding package with the DfT

Posted on Tuesday 1 June 2021 by Gareth Prior

While tram and light rail only forms a fairly small part of Transport for London, the overall funding of the organisation is still kay to the future operation of London Tramlink and Docklands Light Railway and so the news that a new (and third) extraordinary funding package has recently been announced for TfL is still newsworthy for this site. The new package sees  a further £1.08 billion in funding awarded to TfL but as with the previous packages there remains the requirement for savings to be made with a view to marking TfL more financially sustainable by April 2023. As you would probably expect despite the funding being confirmed the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has been vocal in his criticism of the government stance during the negotiations saying that there are “very few options” available to make the savings which are expected as part of this deal and any longer-term deal.

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Picture in Time: Stagecoach Supertram 107

Posted on Tuesday 1 June 2021 by Gareth Prior

This week our modern tram version of “Picture in Time” moves on to the year 2002 as we feature a couple of images of a tram sitting at Halfway.

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Lockdown Walks: Manchester Metrolink 3105

Posted on Tuesday 1 June 2021 by Gareth Prior

In this latest “Lockdown Walk” we take a look at another sunny view of the Trafford Park line.

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In Pictures: Bank Holiday trackworks in Sheffield

Posted on Monday 31 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

The Spring Bank Holiday weekend has seen the latest set of trackworks on the Stagecoach Supertram network with the chance taken over the long weekend to attend to the track at Hillsborough Corner. With the line through Hillsborough closed – although the bus interchange remained fully open – trams from the city on both the Blue and Yellow routes were forced to terminate at Shalesmoor but with no dedicated tram replacement buses any prospective passengers were guided toward First and Stagecoach service buses to complete their journeys. In this photo update we take a look at some of the work taking place at Hillsborough Corner on the first two days of the weekend from Stuart Cooke.

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M5000 3125 enters service in Manchester

Posted on Monday 31 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

Manchester Metrolink M5000 3125 has followed quickly behind 3124 in entering service with in service by on Friday 28th May when it as allocated to the East Didsbury to Rochdale Town Centre route as part of a double unit with 3119. This came shortly after 3124 had first run in passenger service with both having been seen on mileage accumulation at the end of the previous week.

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Whatever Happened To? Crich Tramathon 2005 – Glasgow 812

Posted on Monday 31 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

We feature a second Glasgow car in a row in “Whatever Happened To? Today but this one – Glasgow 812 – is one which has since been withdrawn from service.

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Lockdown Walks: Edinburgh Trams 257

Posted on Monday 31 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

As we reach another Bank Holiday (but its now three months until the next one!) this week we will having another week of our “Lockdown Walks” series as we take a look at trams running during the various lockdowns and other restrictions we have had in recent months. This edition heads to Edinburgh as we take a trip just outside of the city centre.

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Trams in Video: Blackpool Tramway 125th Anniversary Parade

Posted on Sunday 30 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

We are off to 2010 for this episode of “Trams in Video” as we take another look at the Blackpool Tramway and specifically the 125th Anniversary events held during the September and culminating in a Parade of trams from Pleasure Beach to Little Bispham. Various trams are included in this footage and not a Flexity2 in sight!

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Edinburgh Trams look for more tram drivers

Posted on Sunday 30 May 2021 by Gareth Prior

Edinburgh Trams have become the latest tramway across the UK to start recruitment with the company looking for new tram drivers as they continue to gradually increase services on the network.

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