NET Open Day announced

Posted on Tuesday 4 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

There will be a unique opportunity to see behind the scenes at Nottingham Express Transit’s Wilkinson Street Depot with a special open day on Friday 7th June. The event will include a guided tour as well as a chance to ask those burning questions you may have about the tram network!

Continue reading →

Posted in Nottingham Express Transit | Comments Off on NET Open Day announced

Picture in Time: Blackpool Centenary 648

Posted on Tuesday 4 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

2011 is again the year for today’s Blackpool Picture in Time image with one of the Centenary Cars featuring.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Picture in Time | Comments Off on Picture in Time: Blackpool Centenary 648

In Review: Rail Guide Light Rail & Heritage Railways 2019

Posted on Monday 3 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

Over the past few years the number of books available providing general information and stock lists of tramway and light rail systems in the British Isles has been increasing and the latest release onto the market is Rail Guide Light Rail & Heritage Railways 2019 by respected railway author Colin J Marsden.

Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Comments Off on In Review: Rail Guide Light Rail & Heritage Railways 2019

Metrolink punctuality remains consistent

Posted on Monday 3 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

Punctuality and reliability on Manchester Metrolink has remained consistent as the latest performance figures are released. These statistics relate to period one of the 2019/20 year and are between 1st and 27th April with 91.5% of all trams departing less than two minutes late and 99.4% of all planned miles operated.

Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | Comments Off on Metrolink punctuality remains consistent

Extra Metro services for the Spice Girls

Posted on Monday 3 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

With the Spice Girls currently touring the country much to the delight of their fans the Tyne and Wear Metro have announced that they will be running extra services when they perform at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light on Thursday 6th June. Not only will extra services be running the lead up to the concert but there will also be extra late night trains.

Continue reading →

Posted in Tyne and Wear Metro | Comments Off on Extra Metro services for the Spice Girls

Around the World in Trams: Rio de Janeiro 128

Posted on Sunday 2 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

This week we stay in Rio de Janeiro but instead of the historic Santa Teresa tramway we look at the modern light rail system.

Continue reading →

Posted in Around the World in Trams | Comments Off on Around the World in Trams: Rio de Janeiro 128

In Pictures: Latest from Beamish

Posted on Sunday 2 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

The past week has seen the May Half Term school holidays across the UK, a week where traditionally things really start to ramp up with various tourist attractions enjoying higher visitor numbers and Beamish was no different. On a visit made to the museum on Thursday 30th May a three tram service was running with Blackpool 31 and Sunderland 16 working clockwise and Sheffield 264 anti-clockwise.

Continue reading →

Posted in Beamish Tramway | Comments Off on In Pictures: Latest from Beamish

More Metrolink delays after car collisions

Posted on Sunday 2 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

It has been another week of cars colliding with trams on Manchester Metrolink with two incidents at either end of the week seeing delays to the service. Incidents happened on Monday 27th May in the city centre and Friday 31st May in the Audenshaw area. Neither collision was particularly serious although one person did suffer with minor injuries in the second incident.

Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | Comments Off on More Metrolink delays after car collisions

This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 2 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

We have a double helping of Photo Galleries for you this week – both coming from the northwest of England:

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Manchester Metrolink, Site News | Comments Off on This week on British Trams Online

Changes at British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 2 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

Changes are part and parcel of life and this week sees a fairly significant change in the editorial team at British Trams Online as it will be the last week that Andrew Wadington will be writing for the website.

Continue reading →

Posted in Site News | 5 Comments

Horse Trams start running again

Posted on Saturday 1 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

Not previously reported on these pages but on Friday 24th May public services started running once again on the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway. As we’ve mentioned previously the start of this season will see a much shorter tramway in operation with only around 500 metres of track currently available for use (from Derby Castle to a site adjacent to Kings B&B).

Continue reading →

Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway | Comments Off on Horse Trams start running again

Picture in Time: Luas 3005

Posted on Saturday 1 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

Across the Irish Sea for the start of a few images from Dublin’s Luas system today as Picture in Time continues.

Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Luas | Comments Off on Picture in Time: Luas 3005

In Pictures: A closer look at Warrington 28

Posted on Saturday 1 June 2019 by Andrew Waddington

For the past several years the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society have been quietly making some seriously impressive progress on the reconstruction of the last surviving Warrington tramcar in existence – to be known when completed as Warrington 28. MTPS volunteer John Hewitt has shared with us some recent views showing the latest progress on the tram’s restoration, with particular emphasis on the top deck.

Continue reading →

Posted in Birkenhead Heritage Tramway | Comments Off on In Pictures: A closer look at Warrington 28

In Pictures: Pomona Spring Bank Holiday weekend works

Posted on Saturday 1 June 2019 by Gareth Prior

Our presumption that the closure of the Eccles line over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend would see the Eccles line and the extension to Trafford Park connected has proven to be incorrect as nothing of the sort happened! The line closure did see some work undertaken around Pomona including some track laying and cable route work amongst other tasks. With the two lines still to be connected this will mean at least one further closure is likely to be required between now and 2020 when the extension is due to open. Steve Hyde with the photos of the latest progress.

Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | Comments Off on In Pictures: Pomona Spring Bank Holiday weekend works

A baker’s dozen of trams but where are the passengers?

Posted on Friday 31 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

The latest Bank Holiday weekend in Blackpool once again saw the more intensive Gold timetable running with six trams allocated to service each day across the tramway between Pleasure Beach and Blackpool. The original allocations were changed throughout the weekend with both the weather and tram faults causing these amendments but in total 13 different trams ran in service. However, despite the number of different trams out and about it was a very quiet weekend with the trams running half empty (at best) for most of the time.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Event Reviews | 2 Comments

Reduced Tram-Train service

Posted on Friday 31 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

Tram-Train services between Cathedral and Rotherham Parkgate will be running at a reduced frequency until at least Tuesday 11th June as rectification work is carried on the Citylink vehicles. As you may recall all the tram-trains were removed from service earlier this year as a result of the discovery of a fault with a temporary fix put in place to enable their return after a few days. Now rectification work to refit the removed bogie covers will be taking place entailing the temporary withdrawal of the vehicles.

Continue reading →

Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | Comments Off on Reduced Tram-Train service

Happy Birthday Edinburgh Trams!

Posted on Friday 31 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

It’s a week of significant anniversaries with Edinburgh Trams celebrating their 5th birthday. Services in Edinburgh finally started on 31st May 2014 after a very problematic construction period but once it was up and running it was soon accepted into the transport infrastructure of the Scottish capital with passenger numbers continuing to increase year on year.

Continue reading →

Posted in Edinburgh Trams | Comments Off on Happy Birthday Edinburgh Trams!

In Pictures: 19 receives West Midlands Metro 20th anniversary livery

Posted on Thursday 30 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

As we reported last night West Midlands Metro have been celebrating their 20th anniversary with a series of special events across the network. With 30th May the exact anniversary of the formal start of services back in 1999 a special VIP event took place at Wednesbury Depot which saw the unveiling of a special anniversary livery on Urbos 3 19 (surely a missed opportunity to use 20 although with 20 not yet having batteries fitted that probably explains why it wasn’t chosen). The tram then entered service during the afternoon with a party onboard including special goodies and entertainment.

Continue reading →

Posted in West Midlands Metro | Comments Off on In Pictures: 19 receives West Midlands Metro 20th anniversary livery

In Pictures: Supertram trackwork continues along Middlewood Road

Posted on Thursday 30 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

With area one of the Stagecoach Supertram rail replacement works now in their final week the actual worksite has moved further along Middlewood Road with concentration currently on the section between the junction with Hillsborough Grove and between Withens Avenue and Darwin Road to the Middlewood side of Hillsborough. Stuart Cooke is the photographer.

Continue reading →

Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | Comments Off on In Pictures: Supertram trackwork continues along Middlewood Road

Picture in Time: Southend Pier Railway

Posted on Thursday 30 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

A tradition on many piers in the UK was the provision of a tramway or railway and whilst the vast majority have now been removed one which still very much remains – probably party because of the length of the pier! – is that on Southend Pier and that is where we head for this week’s Picture in Time image.

Continue reading →

Posted in Picture in Time, Southend Pier Railway/Tramway | Comments Off on Picture in Time: Southend Pier Railway