Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloon 717

Posted on Thursday 19 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

Its off to Blackpool in 1984 again for today’s “Picture in Time” and in this instalment we are taking a look at another of the iconic Balloon cars.

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In Pictures: Shadow running underway on Trafford Park line

Posted on Wednesday 18 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

Monday 16th March saw the start of shadow running on Manchester Metrolink’s Trafford Park line ahead of its planned public opening on Sunday 22nd March. As we’ve seen in the past Shadow Running operates in the week or so leading up to the start of public services to make sure that the timetable runs as it should and that absolutely everything infrastructure wise can cope with what is planned.

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Another season underway on the Manx Electric Railway

Posted on Wednesday 18 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

Friday 13th March saw the start of another season on the Manx Electric Railway with services operating timetable B – requiring three car sets which in the case for the first day was three single motors.

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Tyne and Wear Metro first to announce reduced timetable in wake of Coronavirus

Posted on Tuesday 17 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

With new recommendations for reducing non-essential travel and the idea of more people working from home Nexus have announced that a reduced timetable will be in operation on the Tyne and Wear Metro for the foreseeable future. In making these changes they become the first light rail system in the UK to announce a service reduction.

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Still Standing! Newcastle Corporation Tramways Wingrove Depot

Posted on Tuesday 17 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

We are heading to the northeast for today’s look at remnants of old tramways still in situ with Newcastle Corporation Tramways old Wingrove Depot featuring.

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Balloon 707 returns to service in Blackpool

Posted on Monday 16 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

After the completion of work to bring it back into service Blackpool Balloon 707 returned to passenger service on Saturday 14th March – a late replacement for the Trawler in the pre-announced line-up of trams. This is the first confirmed usage of 707 in passenger service since 2013.

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Sheffield awarded £166 million from Transforming Cities Fund

Posted on Monday 16 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

The Sheffield City Regions has been awarded £166 million from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, as confirmed during the recent budget. The region has big for £220 million but has not got the full amount meaning that full proposals of what will be included are yet to be confirmed.

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COVID-19

Posted on Monday 16 March 2020 by Gareth Prior

At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is rarely out of the news we wanted to encourage all readers of British Trams Online to follow current government guidance when thinking about going out, not only for trams but also in general. Whilst we love to see your contributions of what is going on with trams across the country we just ask that you take care when doing so and keep up-to-date with all the latest advice.

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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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