In Pictures: An update on the Birmingham Westside extension

Posted on Thursday 29 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

It is likely to be the next tramway extension which opens in the UK and work on the second phase of the Birmingham Westside line is continuing with a view to trams starting running in 2021. The latest part of the West Midlands Metro expansion will see the line extended from the current Library terminus through to Hagley Road in Edgbaston with additional stops also provided at Brindleyplace and Five Ways. Dan Noon took a recent look at the latest progress on the construction.

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Lockdown Walks: Edinburgh Trams 262

Posted on Thursday 29 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

We continue our series where we see a tram in service during 2020 at a time when passenger numbers were still at low levels with another trip to Edinburgh.

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A new home sought for the last remaining Carlisle tram

Posted on Wednesday 28 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

The future of the last known remaining Carlisle tram is in doubt with its owners the Workington Transport Trust being told they will have to leave its home of 15 years by 23rd November. The Trust have owned the tram since 2005 when they saved it after it failed to seel at auction and since then it has been located in Carlisle Railway Station undercroft but this space is now required for work taking place at the station meaning the tram needs to find a new home within the next few weeks.

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In Pictures: Llandudno 7 commemorates the 75th anniversary of VE Day

Posted on Wednesday 28 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

2020 has been a disappointing year for the Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Tramway Society with all events they were due to attend having been cancelled (their last remaining ray of hope that the Llandudno Christmas Parade may take place have now been dashed with this too no longer happening in 2020). But despite this they were determined to show their support for the sacrifices made by the armed forces 75 years ago – a time when the Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Electric Railway was still running – and for this a spontaneous photo opportunity was achieved at the shed where no. 7 lives.

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Picture in Time: Docklands Light Railway 25+74

Posted on Wednesday 28 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

Its time to head back to London’s Docklands for another archive image of the DLR dating from 2003.

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In Pictures: The ongoing demolition of Wilko’s in Blackpool

Posted on Tuesday 27 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

It’s a double helping of demolition images of Blackpool’s former Wilko’s store as we take a look at the progress made on raising the building to the ground with photos taken on 17th and 23rd October. Tony Armitage provides the images.

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Track from Brierley Hill line donated to Severn Valley Railway

Posted on Tuesday 27 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

Track removed as part of work to prepare the route of the new West Midlands Metro extension between Wednesbury and Brierley Hill has been donated to the Severn Valley Railway to help them with their annual track replacement programme. More than a mile of disused track has been donated having been removed as part of the initial stages of preparing the trackbed for the Metro extension.

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Still Standing! Wandsworth Depot, London

Posted on Tuesday 27 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

In this edition of “Still Standing!” we are again in London to take a look at an old tram depot which sis still used to house public transport vehicles.

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In Pictures: Good progress continues to be made on Trams to Newhaven project

Posted on Monday 26 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

2023 may seem a long way off but even though it will be the best part of three years before we can enjoy a ride by tram to Newhaven good progress continues to be made on the construction – no more so than around Ocean Terminal which was the first area handed back to the Infrastructure and Systems Contractor (SFN) and it is hoped that the first tracks for the extension may be laid here during November.

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New under 16s smartcard launched by Nexus

Posted on Monday 26 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

A new and easy way to pay for travel on the Tyne and Wear Metro by the under 16s has been launched by Nexus. The Junior blue smartcard can be bought and topped up online meaning passengers won’t have to carry cash or use ticket machines when travelling.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloon 713

Posted on Monday 26 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

The latter years of the Blackpool Tramway (pre-upgrade that is) saw a number of plain liveried trams in action and in 2007 that included the subject of our latest edition of “Picture in Time”.

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Trams in Video: Paris Trams – May 2015

Posted on Sunday 25 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

Today we head back to May 2015 for some film taken in the French capital city of Paris showing all nine tram routes in action. All the Paris tram routes serve areas in the suburbs of the city and operate separately; included are routes T5/T6 which use rubber tired trams with a central guide rail.

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In Pictures: Poppies return to Blackpool’s trams

Posted on Sunday 25 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

Over the past few years it has become tradition on tramways across the UK that they mark Remembrance Day by carrying poppies on the trams in some form. Whether that be vinyls on the front of the trams of a poppy in the cab they have been seen on various systems as their own mark on remembrance and as October starts to draw to a close the first oppy seen on a tram has been in Blackpool with 008 noted so adorned.

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Lockdown Walks: Stagecoach Supertram 120 & 118

Posted on Sunday 25 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

Its time to take another look at trams running in 2020 as we go on another “Lockdown Walk” – this time its Sheffield again.

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What’s New on British Trams Online?

Posted on Sunday 25 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

We are again popping into the archives for our latest set of photos – this time from the 2009 Wirral Bus and Tram Show:

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In Pictures: More new adverts in Edinburgh

Posted on Saturday 24 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

And the new adverts keep on coming in Edinburgh! October had already seen two new adverts applied (255 for Forever Edinburgh and 272 for John Lewis) but the past week has seen another two new designs spotted on the trams – both replacing previous vinyls. The two latest trams to receive new adverts are 268 and 277.

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Around the World in Trams: Innsbruck 19

Posted on Saturday 24 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

It is another trip to Innsbruck for this edition of “Around the World in Trams”.

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New revised timetable to be introduced on Supertram

Posted on Saturday 24 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

Services have been reduced once again on Stagecoach Supertram (starting from Tuesday 20th October) “due to short notice resource issues” (presumably connected with staff having to self-isolate because of Covid-19).  These timetables will be in place until further notice.

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Lockdown Walks: Edinburgh Trams 260

Posted on Saturday 24 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

In this article we head back to Edinburgh once more for a look a sparsely populated tram in the city centre.

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More DfT funding for English light rail systems

Posted on Friday 23 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

It has been announced that up to a further £67.8 million will be made available to tram and light rail systems across England (outside of London) up to the end of March as part of the latest funding package from the Department for Transport. For the first time in these joint announcements this will include Blackpool alongside systems in Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, the Tyne and Wear Metro and the West Midlands Metro.

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