Extra Metro services for Sunderland Airshow

Posted on Wednesday 24 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

The Tyne and Wear Metro will be running extra services during the Sunderland International Airshow to help visitors get to and from the event with large crowds expected to attend. The Airshow takes place on Friday 26th, Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th July with additional trains set to run after the event concludes to help people get home again.

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In Pictures: Bluebird on the move – and other Crich images

Posted on Tuesday 23 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

Just to prove that things never stay still for too long, no sooner has we given a Workshop update from Crich Tramway Village than one of the three long-term residents was on the move. The tram in question was London County Council 1 but before you all get excited thinking the tram is about to enter service it was being moved by Croydon Tramlink 058 as more clearances were being tested around the depot yard.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 1 Comment

More all night trams for Edinburgh Festival

Posted on Tuesday 23 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

After the success of last year’s all night trams on Saturday nights during the Edinburgh Festival period they will once again be running in 2019 – with the addition of the service on Friday night’s as well! A 20 minute frequency will run between midnight and 0530 with restrictions at Ingliston Park and Ride also relaxed to allow the tram to take the strain for anyone attending the events during the Festival.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloon 700

Posted on Tuesday 23 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

We feature a tram in today’s Blackpool edition of Picture in Time in a much remembered condition – the wartime Green and Cream liveried Balloon 700.

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More battery trams on the way on West Midlands Metro

Posted on Monday 22 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

It’s been nearly a month since we saw the last battery fitted tram enter service on West Midlands Metro but in the meantime they have been busy in the workshops at Wednesbury as not one but two more trams are currently been worked on. As we’ve mentioned many a time on these pages when the first stage of the Birmingham Westside extension opens (due end of 2019) any tram which runs will have to have batteries as this section is being constructed without wires so the next few months do look like being busy for battery fitment.

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Plaque installed at Seaton in memory of tramway supporter

Posted on Monday 22 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

A memorial plaque has been installed on the outside of the Seaton terminus building in honour of Anthony Caesar, a supporter of the tramway. The plaque was unveiled by Al and Gill Summers, friends of Mr Caesar at a small ceremony on Tuesday 16th July.

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In Pictures: Crich goes Postal with a new exhibition

Posted on Monday 22 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

The chances are if you reading this website when you visit Crich you concentrate mainly on the operating trams or those at rest in the depot and Exhibition Hall. But if you have some spare time there are also a number of exhibitions to see with the latest temporary exhibition in the Assembly Rooms being on the subject of Mail by Tram.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 2 Comments

Around the World in Trams: Krakow 168

Posted on Sunday 21 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

This week we have another look at a tram in Krakow, Poland with one of the older examples featured.

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Preparatory works to continue on Edinburgh extension

Posted on Sunday 21 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

Over the past couple of months since final approval was given for the Trams to Newhaven project in Edinburgh the first stage of preparatory works have been taking place with ground and site investigation underway. This stage of work is now coming to an end with all areas due to be complete during the week commencing Monday 22nd July – and then it will be time for the next stage of works which will include vibration testing.

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In Pictures: Trams in the works at Crich

Posted on Sunday 21 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

The workshops at the Crich Tramway Village are usually a hive of activity with major projects in hand to bring more trams into service and the situation is no different at the moment with three major projects taking place. The biggest of these is the major restoration of London County Council 1 with another tram from capital, London Transport 1622, also being worked on and the final tram being Newcastle 102. In this pictorial update we take a look at the current state of these three trams.

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Could there be a little bit of progress on the Blackpool Tramway extension?

Posted on Sunday 21 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

Originally due to open at Easter 2019 there can be no getting around the fact that the Blackpool Tramway extension to Blackpool North Railway Station is late and as things stand at the moment the Council have given no indication of when we might be able to enjoy a ride along Talbot Road. However, there could now be a little chink of light at the end of the tunnel as the Council’s development partner, Muse Developments, have started the process to find a contractor to build the new Holiday Inn hotel due to be built on the site of Wilkinson’s – along with the new tram terminus.

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Picture in Time: Midland Metro construction

Posted on Saturday 20 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

We head back to July 1998 for this week’s modern tram edition of Picture in Time although there isn’t a tram in sight.

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Saturday 20 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

It may be a day early this week but our latest main site update is now online with another couple of Photo Galleries added:

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A Friday evening outing for the Western Train

Posted on Saturday 20 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

Outside of the illumination season it is usually difficult for the general public to get a ride on an illuminated tram which makes Friday 26th July a pretty rare opportunity to ride the illuminated Western Train with the tram set to run a round tour from North Pier shortly after 1900.

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In Preview: Build in Bricks at Crich – 25th to 31st July

Posted on Saturday 20 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

One of the most popular new family orientated events at the Crich Tramway Village didn’t have anything to do with large scale trams but did result in a stunning mosaic depicting Glasgow 812! It was the Build in Bricks event which took place at the very end of the school holidays in August and it is back for the summer holidays in 2019, this time at the start of the holiday period between 25th and 31st July – and Crich are calling on anyone to help build another mosaic, which must be completed in two days!

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Sheffield City Region look for tram-train extensions as part of rail plan

Posted on Friday 19 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

The latest region of the UK to unveil their plans for the future of transport is the Sheffield City Region and again there are ideas for trams although in this case it isn’t conventional trams mentioned as buoyed by the success of the link to Rotherham Parkgate it would be tram-train which would be developed.

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Study names Metrolink as fifth best in the world

Posted on Friday 19 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

In another boost for Manchester Metrolink the system has been named as the fifth best in the world as part of an international study. This study looked at 32 trams systems from across the world and Metrolink was in the large cities category scoring a total score of 66 out of 100 across ten different separate criteria.

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In Preview: Tram Sunday weekend Heritage Trams – 20th & 21st July

Posted on Friday 19 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

This weekend will see more enhanced heritage tram action in Blackpool and with Tram Sunday taking place on Sunday 21st July it is very much Fleetwood orientated this time around – with a very frequent service north on both days. Tram Sunday itself will also see three heritage trams on display in Fleetwood with the heritage service – and the normal tram service too – terminating short at Fisherman’s Walk.

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Standard 143 continues to progress – 6 weeks to launch!

Posted on Thursday 18 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

Anyone who saw the recent photos of Standard 143 in the Electrical Compound during June’s Totally Models event will have seen the current state of the tram which is due to be relaunched into service in just six weeks time on Wednesday 28th August. Whilst it does look as if there is a lot of work to be fitted into this relatively short time period a new update from the Fylde Transport Trust remains upbeat on the tram being completed in time.

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In Pictures: Supertram gets ready for a return beyond Hillsborough

Posted on Thursday 18 July 2019 by Gareth Prior

After the best part of three (long) months a full service on Stagecoach Supertram is set to return from Friday 19th July after the completion of the area two rail replacement works – although it will only be a three day resumption to help transport people around the area for the Tramlines festival. In preparation for the return of services to Middlewood (Yellow route) and Malin Bridge (Blue route) driver training and testing was well underway on Thursday 18th July.

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