In Pictures: 3116 receives advert for Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet

Posted on Wednesday 29 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

The latest vinyl wrap advert to be applied to a tram in Manchester is for the Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet and is now featured on 3116. A grey design it does feature contravision on many of the windows although only when there are images on writing as part of the advert which does leave some random vinyl free windows! Reece Hughes has provided us with the following photos.

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West Midlands Metro set to celebrate 20 years

Posted on Wednesday 29 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

On 30th May 1999 services finally started on what we now know as the West Midlands Metro and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this momentous occasion a specially liveried tram will enter service during the afternoon of Thursday 30th May 2019. This tram will also have celebrations on board including impromptu entertainment, cupcakes and squeezy model trams (apparently for the kids!). And if you can’t get on board the tram then there will be Metro staff on hand at various tramstops to make sure even more passengers don’t miss out on the action!

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Metrolink strikes off after new pay offer

Posted on Wednesday 29 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

The planned four day strike due to take place on Manchester Metrolink between Friday 7th and Monday 10th June has been called off after talks between KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM) and the Unite Union. This may not need the complete end to the dispute though as the new pay and conditions proposal will go to a fresh ballot of members.

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In Pictures: Balloon 715 returns to the 1970s

Posted on Tuesday 28 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

The Fylde Transport Trust’s Blackpool Balloon 715 returned to service on Friday 24th May sporting a new look following a partial repaint – including period between deck adverts. The tram is now in a coat of 1970s Green and Cream livery having previously carried the 1990s style and there will also be further workshop attention to come for the tram.

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Metro 19 back in service

Posted on Tuesday 28 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

And then there were 10! Saturday 25th May saw the tenth of the West Midlands Metro Urbos3 trams to enter service fitted with batteries fitted when 19 undertook its first revenue earning runs.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Brush 630

Posted on Tuesday 28 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

This week’s archive Blackpool tram image again comes from the final year of the traditional tramway – 2011.

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In Pictures: Cambridge Horse tram 7 almost complete

Posted on Monday 27 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

A restoration we have been keeping an eye on over the past few years has been that of Cambridge Street Tramways 7 – a horse tram which during the restoration it was discovered was in fact third hand to the Cambridge system. The restoration of the tram started at the Ipswich Transport Museum in 2012 and now some seven years later just a few jobs remain before it is officially launched to the public.

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In Pictures: Metro Cars wherefore art thou?

Posted on Monday 27 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

Train availability on the Tyne and Wear Metro has been in the news over recent months with a full service unable to be operated on the network at times. Included in this lack of availability are four sets which haven’t been seen in service for well over a year – as far as is know they didn’t run at all during 2018 and haven’t so far in 2019 either. In this pictorial article we take a look at the four sets in happier times when they were still part of the active fleet. Trevor Hall provides the images.

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Crich on the outlook for new volunteer tram crew

Posted on Monday 27 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

Have you ever thought about becoming a tram conductor but haven’t know what to do about it? Well if you have now is your chance to volunteer at the Crich Tramway Village, home of the National Tramway Museum, with a campaign just launched for more tram crew to join the team.

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Another award win for the Midland Metro Alliance

Posted on Monday 27 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

There don’t seem to be many weeks which go by without some award ceremony or another and the latest in Birmingham has seen the Midland Metro Alliance recognised for their communications campaign to keep those living, working and visiting Birmingham during construction works on extending the network.

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Around the World in Trams: Santa Teresa tram 16

Posted on Sunday 26 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

A change of continent this week as we head to South America and the country of Brazil for some images taken in Rio de Janeiro.

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In Pictures: Brussels tramways celebrate 150th anniversary

Posted on Sunday 26 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

Whilst it may not be British events in Brussels in early May certainly deserve coverage as this was when the Belgian city celebrated 150 years of tram operation. On 1st May – a Bank Holiday in mainland Europe – the main day of events to celebrate the occasion took place which included a spectacular 40 tram parade plus a static exhibition of several trams and a steam tram doing demonstration runs along a short length of track. A new tram mock-up from Bombardier was also on display.

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Metro 18 suffers damage after collision on Bilston Road

Posted on Sunday 26 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

West Midlands Metro 18 – one of two trams to carry Just Eat adverts – suffered damage in a collision with a car on Bilston Road on Tuesday 21st May. The collision happened at approximately 1920 and according to the driver of the car occurred after he stalled his car as he was turning onto the road from a car park for a local shopping complex. 18 was heading towards Wolverhampton St George’s when the incident occurred. The ambulance service attended the scene although no serious injuries were reported. Whilst the scene was cleared and investigation started Metro services from Grand Centre were turned short at Priestfield until just after 2000.

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Rewire starts on Railcoach 279

Posted on Saturday 25 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

The excellent progress being made on returning a traditionally shaped Blackpool English Electric Railcoach to the rails in 2019 is showing no signs of slowing down with work now underway on a complete rewire of 279. The tram, owned by the Fylde Transport Trust, is being worked on at Brinwell Road with generous funding come from supporters to allow the work to take place.

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Picture in Time: Manchester Metrolink 1011

Posted on Saturday 25 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

Today we take a look at the very first Manchester Metrolink T68 to be withdrawn and scrapped – 1011.

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Man suffers serious injuries after being hit by tram in Sheffield

Posted on Saturday 25 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

A 39 year old has been taken to hospital with serious head injuries after being hit by a tram on West Street, Sheffield. The man was hit at 2220 on Wednesday 22nd May after he ended up on the road. Local news reports suggest he may have been involved in an altercation with two others shortly before the collision happened (the tram involved was 110) although no arrests have been made in connection with this. He was taken to the Northern General Hospital for treatment. West Street (on the Blue and Yellow routes to Hillsborough) was closed whilst the Police undertook an investigation with no trams able to run through the area. Normal services were able to resume from the start of Thursday 23rd May.

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Man injured after being hit by tram at Weaste

Posted on Saturday 25 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

A man was taken to hospital with serious injuries late on Monday 20th May after he was involved in a collision with a tram on the Manchester Metrolink network close to the stop at Weaste on the Eccles line. The incident was reported as happening at around 2310 with the emergency services closing the surrounding roads whilst it was dealt with. Metrolink services were suspended for the remainder of the evening with TfGM confirming they would be investigating the circumstances alongside Greater Manchester Police whilst also providing support to the driver.

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Supertram get ready for next phase of rail replacement

Posted on Friday 24 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

Work on area one of the 2019 Supertram rail replacement work may not yet have been completed but planning is now well underway for the next phase of works, which are due to start the day after area one – Monday 3rd June. This time around the work will be concentrated between Shalesmoor and Hillsborough which once again affects trams on the Blue and Yellow routes meaning they will again be running short routes.

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Work continues at Glory Mine

Posted on Friday 24 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

The big winter project at the Crich Tramway Village was the complete track relay and rewire of the formation at Glory Mine and now some two months after the museum opened for the season work is coming to an end – although it isn’t quite there yet. Poor weather in the lead up to the season saw delays in the project but with the recent fine weather good progress is being made on restringing the overhead.

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Strikes set to hit Metrolink in June

Posted on Friday 24 May 2019 by Gareth Prior

The dispute on London Tramlink may now seemingly be over with the cancellation of strikes but the latest dispute between workers and management on a UK tram network is set to bring severe disruption to Manchester Metrolink over the weekend of 8th and 9th June – a weekend which was expected to be very busy on the network with the Parklife festival taking place in Heaton Park (which means there will be no service on the Heaton Park Tramway that weekend either). At the heart of the dispute is pay with the latest pay offer criticised as it offers different staff different percentage increases. Control room staff are being called on strike between 2100 on Friday 7th June and 0559 on Monday 10th June.

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