Picture in Time: Croydon Tramlink 2531

Posted on Sunday 15 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

One final image from Croydon before we move on and we continue in numerical order by featuring CR4000 2531.

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Light rail included in Cork’s transport strategy

Posted on Sunday 15 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

Ireland could be home to a second light rail network, that is if a new transport strategy for the Cork Metropolitan Area over the next two decades goes ahead. The revised strategy has been released following a consultation period and confirms the desire for the region to have light rail as part of its overall transport strategy.

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In Pictures: Trams outside Manchester Central

Posted on Sunday 15 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

Probably the busiest section of tramway in the UK on a regular basis is that between St Peter’s Square and Deansgate-Castlefield (and on to Cornbrook) with trams from no fewer than four routes all converging (some of which have more than one service running onto them). This leads to trams every few minutes running along this congested section. In this short pictorial we take a look at some tram movements in this section on Saturday 14th September 2019. Hazel Quarmby provides the photos.

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What’s New on British Trams Online?

Posted on Sunday 15 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

This week we have dipped into the archives for our Photo Gallery:

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Sheffield Midland Station Masterplan would see re-routing of Supertram

Posted on Saturday 14 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

Could the Stagecoach Supertram line which currently serves the main railway station in Sheffield be diverted to take a new alignment? A new masterplan for the area around Sheffield Railway Station suggests that it could with a diversion from the area in the vicinity of the Granville Road stop to Fitzalan Square with the old alignment around the back of the station with a relocated inner relief road more or less replacing it.

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Around the World in Trams: Melbourne 2087

Posted on Saturday 14 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

For the next few weeks of our worldwide tram series we will be “down under” as we head to somewhere which will keep even the most picky of tram enthusiasts interested – Melbourne.

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Lost Trams: Wrexham tram bodies

Posted on Saturday 14 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

Its been a long time since we had an entry into this series but in this article we take a pictorial look at two long withdrawn tram bodies from Wrexham in North Wales, now stored out in the open.

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Now you can go to Crich to see electric trams and charge your own electric vehicle!

Posted on Saturday 14 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

The Crich Tramway Village have announced that two electric charging points have been installed at the museum, meaning that whilst you go and take a ride on an electric tram (powered by overhead power of course so need for that to be charged!) you can leave your electric car charging for the trip home! Electric vehicle charge point operated, Alfa Power, have supplied the charging points which are compatible with all electric car models.

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In Pictures: Driver Training on the increase on the Tyne and Wear Metro

Posted on Friday 13 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

One of the reasons often given for cancellations and service disruption on the Tyne and Wear Metro – part of an admittedly large list of late! – is driver shortages but as promised Nexus are currently attempting to do something about that. So far in 2020 the number of Driver Training runs on the network does seem to have increased and they know have the useful destination screen display of “Driver Training” where previously they often just ran with “Not In Service” displayed.

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In Preview: Blackpool Winter Gold, 14th and 15th March 2020

Posted on Friday 13 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

The second Winter Gold event of 2020 is due to take place this weekend, 14th and 15th March with the standard timetable in operation with six trams in action each day plus the Shop Tram running one service in the late afternoon. The weekend will see the usual mix of trams with highlights looking set to be the use of Bolton 66 and the illuminated Trawler on the first day.

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Metro Flow project funded by Government

Posted on Thursday 12 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

Four additional new trains and the double tracking of sections of the Tyne and Wear Metro are on the cards after the Government agreed to part funding of the Metro Flow project in the recent budget. £95 million will come from the Transforming Cities Fund which will now enable Nexus to deliver the complete £103 million project.

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Metrolink trial new driver monitoring system

Posted on Thursday 12 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

In the aftermath of the tragic derailment on London Tramlink in November 2016, a number of recommendations were made by the RAIB in order to try and prevent any similar accidents happening in the future. One of these was to install equipment on trams – not just in Croydon – to warn drivers when they are travelling above the line speed. To this end Manchester Metrolink have recently started a trial with a new system installed.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool OMO 4

Posted on Thursday 12 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

As last week we are featuring a Blackpool tram during 1984 in this edition of “Picture in Time”. This time it is one of the OMO cars.

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More on Lanarkshire 53’s 25th anniversary celebrations

Posted on Wednesday 11 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

Since we ran the report last week on the planned celebrations for Lanarkshire 53’s 25th anniversary since restoration at Summerlee we have received more information on what is planned – including a re-enactment of its launch on the actual anniversary of it taking place.

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On the internet: RailwayWorld.net

Posted on Wednesday 11 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

Across the world wide web there are many websites dedicated to trams and light rail and in this first edition of a new (likely to be very irregular!) series we take a look at some of those you may wish to check out – we start off with RailwayWorld.net.

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In Pictures: Trackwork in Sheffield

Posted on Tuesday 10 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

The past few weeks have seen some small jobs on Stagecoach Supertram affecting services, including on Sunday 8th March at Holme Lane with the inbound track dealt with during the morning. This work was only fairly minor and meant there were no services to Malin Bridge until approximately 1100 with the Blue route being diverted through to usual Yellow route terminus Middlewood. Stuart Cooke popped down to see what was going on.

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New Metro boss sees the work going in to maintain train fleet

Posted on Tuesday 10 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

Newly appointed Chief Operating Officer at Nexus, Martin Kearney, has spent four hours with the night shift at South Gosforth Depot as it returns to the floor to see just what goes in to maintaining the 40 year old fleet of trains.

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Still Standing! Tram rosettes in Edinburgh

Posted on Tuesday 10 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

Its time to look up again! This week we are off to Edinburgh to take a look at some more overhead support rosettes – not all of which were used by the first generation tramway.

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Trafford Park line sets 22nd March opening date

Posted on Monday 9 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

Transport for Greater Manchester have confirmed that Manchester Metrolink’s Trafford Park line will open to the public on Sunday 22nd March – making its already planned early opening of April even earlier than expected! Driver training has been ongoing for the past few weeks and with this making good progress it is all systems go for services to start in less than two weeks!

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Brief update on FTT trams Standard 143 & Railcoach 279

Posted on Monday 9 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

The Fylde Transport Trust have given the latest update on the projects to return Standard 143 and Railcoach 279 to the rails with the latter continuing to take shape as a “pointed end” Railcoach once more.

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