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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More Tramlink Engineering Works

Posted on Friday 23 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

Another closure on London Tramlink through the central Croydon area started on Friday 23rd October and will be continuing until Sunday 1st November. Throughout this period no trams will be running between Wandle Park and East Croydon in both directions.

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Picture in Time: Leeds 165

Posted on Friday 23 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

For the next few editions of the traditional tram “Picture in Time” we take a trip to Leeds for some fascinating images taken as the days of the tramway were coming to an end in November 1959.

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Lord Provost calls for battery powered trams on Princes Street

Posted on Thursday 22 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

Could we see the overhead wires on Princes Street in Edinburgh taken down with trams running under battery power in the future? As part of a recent Council discussion the current Lord Provost, Cllr Frank Ross, asked for the plans to be considered as part of a new strategy for Princes Street and the Waverley Valley.

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Metro performance up

Posted on Thursday 22 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

The latest poster for performance on the Tyne and Wear Metro has recently been put up at station across the network and it shows an increase in performance both from the previous four weeks and also the same period last year.

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Lockdown Walks: Manchester Metrolink 3114

Posted on Thursday 22 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

In this edition we are taking one final look at Manchester Metrolink’s Trafford Park line.

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Metro platforms to be readied for new trains

Posted on Wednesday 21 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

A new £2 million project is now underway to get platforms on the Tyne and Wear Metro network ready for the fleet of new trains which are due to be in service in 2023. With the new trains having a sliding step which will ensure that the gap between train and platform is almost non-existent it will be necessary to alter tracks at 40 locations and the work for this has already started.

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West Midlands Metro advertise for new engineer roles

Posted on Wednesday 21 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

As we all know the West Midlands Metro is currently at the start of a major expansion of the system and to aid this they have recently advertised for four new engineers. They are looking for enthusiastic, talented people with the specialist skills needed to maintain infrastructure and rolling stock both now and in the future.

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Picture in Time: Docklands Light Railway 13+41

Posted on Wednesday 21 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

Today we are heading off to the Docklands Light Railway for another archive image.

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Support from public for further Edinburgh Trams extension

Posted on Tuesday 20 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

At the start of the year – before you know what arrived – the City of Edinburgh Council launched a Public Consultation into their Draft City Mobility Plan (CMP). This is part of an aim in making Edinburgh a carbon neutral city and included amongst the ambitious plans were potential further Edinburgh Trams extensions. The results of the consultation have now been revealed which included 65% of respondents supporting the expansion of the tramway.

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In Pictures: Great Orme Tramway – 2016

Posted on Tuesday 20 October 2020 by Gareth Prior

It may be a tramway which won’t be running in 2020 but in this pictorial article we go back to 2016 for some views of the trams on the upper section of the Great Orme Tramway. Taken in excellent lighting conditions we see the two upper trams – 6 and 7 – in operation. Dated as February of that year they seem to be being driven by engineers in their brightly coloured overalls which may suggest this was a test and commissioning run ahead of a new season, further suggested by the complete lack of passengers visible. Dave Jones with the photos.

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