Edinburgh Evening News reveal the number of cyclists injured around tramway

Posted on Sunday 1 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

In an article published in the Edinburgh Evening News under the catchy headline “Edinburgh tram designs criticised after new figures show number of cyclists who fell off their bikes last year due to the tracks”, the newspaper have criticised the trams in the Scottish capital with a freedom of information act request revealing that during 2019 more 30 cyclists were injured having fallen off their bikes “due to the tramlines”.

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All about….British Trams Online!

Posted on Sunday 1 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

When preparing this article I wasn’t sure what to call it, its our “product promise” to you if you like or maybe even our “mission statement”! But at a basic level the purpose of this is to explain what we aim to bring you each week – its as much an article for me so I have something to aim towards but it is also here to show you what British Trams Online is trying to achieve and why we’re here!

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What’s New on British Trams Online?

Posted on Sunday 1 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

This week over on the main site we have photos coming from the West Midlands Metro back in December:

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Track welded into place at Five Ways underpass

Posted on Saturday 29 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

Following the report earlier this month that the first track had been installed at Five Ways underpass on the West Midlands Metro Birmingham Westside to Hagley Road, the Midland Metro Alliance have now confirmed that some of this track has been welded into place as good progress continues to be made on the construction ahead of the line opening in 2021.

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Around the World in Trams: Potsdam 421

Posted on Saturday 29 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

We continue our look at trams in Potsdam today and in this weeks edition it is a Stadler Variobahn in the photo.

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Tram and car collide in Nottingham

Posted on Saturday 29 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

Services on Nottingham Express Transit were briefly disrupted on Thursday 27th February after a car and tram collided on the single line loop towards the city centre in Hyson Green. Citadis 220 was the tram involved in the collision with saw some damage caused to the front side panel on the tram. No major injuries were reported. The incident happened at around 0855 with no trams able to run between The Forest and Wilkinson Street for around half an hour.

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In Pictures: West Midlands Metro 24 receives new adverts

Posted on Friday 28 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

For the first time since external commercial advertising has been applied to the Urbos3 trams on the West Midlands Metro there has been a change of commercial adverts with 24 losing its OLA vinyls in favour of a new contract for Resorts World next to Birmingham International Railway Station. The new adverts were first seen on the tram during Friday 28th February 2020.

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In Pictures: A closer look at Manchester Horse Tram L53

Posted on Friday 28 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

It’s the only fully intact Eades Reversible horse tram in the country and it can be found on display at the Bury Transport Museum (attached to the East Lancashire Railway) as part of a long-term loan from the Heaton Park Tramway. Manchester horse car L53 has been at Bury since 2010 (except for a short period on loan at Beamish that year – which was the last time it ran in passenger service) and is one of many interesting exhibits at the museum. In this short pictorial article we take a closer look at the tram, both inside and out.

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In Pictures: First signs of winter at Beamish

Posted on Thursday 27 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

Monday 24th February saw the first snowfall of winter in the northeast of England with Beamish delaying opening whilst staff worked hard to clear the site for visitors. This was all done by around 1100 allowing the museum to open with the trams continuing to run. By Wednesday 26th February when the below photos were taken most of the snow had thawed although there was still some of the white stuff on the ground giving a little bit of winter to the images.

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An advert from the past – Stokes Paints

Posted on Thursday 27 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

Have you ever wondered where paint comes from for trams? Well wonder no more as a recent find at an old Methodist Chapel in Yorkshire has found an old advert for Stokes Paints which apparently “Keep the Trams in TIP TOP CONDITION”. Ken Jones explains more.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Twin Car 673+683

Posted on Thursday 27 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

We are off to Blackpool this evening this latest archive image and this time we find ourselves in 2001.

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Punctuality and reliability up on Metrolink

Posted on Wednesday 26 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

The latest four week period of performance statistics on Manchester Metrolink have been released and there is good news as both punctuality and reliability as the percentages are up on both counts with punctuality up at its highest level since September.

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Another award for Nottingham Trams Ltd

Posted on Wednesday 26 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

Nottingham Trams Ltd, the operator of Nottingham Express Transit, have announced that they have received a prestigious international award to recognise their commitment to the ongoing development of their staff – their most valuable asset as the press release puts it. They have achieved the sixth generation Investors in People standard which is awarded to organisations that consistently outperform the wider business community.

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New tracks in place at temporary Metro depot

Posted on Tuesday 25 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

Work on constructing the new Tyne and Wear Metro Depot at Howdon in North Tyneside is continuing to make excellent progress with the past three months having seen more than 1.5km of line put down. The depot is scheduled to open in the summer.

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Children invited to take part in hoarding competition

Posted on Tuesday 25 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

Schools across Birmingham are being invited to enter a competition to create their image of a construction worker with the best five entries featuring on hoarding panels for the Westside West Midlands Metro extension. The Careers in Construction contest has been set-up by the Midland Metro Alliance’s Engagement and Skills Team and its aim is to encourage school children to be part of the extension works.

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Still Standing! Grimsby Corporation Tramways Victoria Street Depot

Posted on Tuesday 25 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

Whilst most of our entries in this series have been to the west of the country in today’s edition we are heading east to take a look at Grimsby Corporation Tramways Victoria Street Depot.

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In Pictures: New Passenger Information Displays for West Midlands Metro

Posted on Monday 24 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

New Passenger Information Display screens are now being installed across the West Midlands Metro network as part of the continued improvements for passengers. The two new stops on the Birmingham Westside extension had these new screens installed from now and now Wednesbury Parkway, Wednesbury Great Western Street and Black Lake have also seen them fitted.

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In Pictures: Portsdown & Horndean 5 finds use as a waiting shelter

Posted on Monday 24 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

There are many uses for an old withdrawn tram and at the Old Kiln Light Railway a former Portsdown & Horndean tram body has become part of the station building. Located at the Rural Life Centre in Tilford, Surrey the body is that of no. 5 – one of two known survivors of this former line.

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Metro staff and Police join forces to give public reassurance

Posted on Monday 24 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

As part of an ongoing joint initiative between Nexus and the Northumbria Police, a recent community engagement exercise took place on the Tyne and Wear Metro to give public reassurance whilst travelling during the evening. This is just the latest campaign on the Metro as they seek to improve safety for all passengers on the network.

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Picture in Time: Croydon Tramlink under construction

Posted on Sunday 23 February 2020 by Gareth Prior

As we continue our archive look at Croydon Tramlink we head back to before any trams had run into central Croydon – mainly because the tracks hadn’t been laid yet!

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