In Pictures: Daylight testing starts to Rotherham

Posted on Tuesday 17 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

Ever so slightly we are edging towards the start of the pilot Tram-Train service in the UK which will run between Sheffield and Rotherham. The latest milestone (how many times have we used that word recently!) in the project has seen the start of daylight testing along the Network Rail line to Rotherham Central and Rotherham Parkgate – a major component in the preparations for the start of services. There is still no official word as to when the service may start although late summer/early autumn is the expected start of the service which will see three train-trams an hour between Cathedral and Rotherham Parkgate.

Continue reading →

Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | Comments Off on In Pictures: Daylight testing starts to Rotherham

In Pictures: Its bye-bye to Blackpool for 623

Posted on Tuesday 17 July 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Blackpool Brush Railcoach 623‘s period of operation back on its original home tramway has now come to an end, and after a year-long loan, the tram was transported back to Manchester on Monday 16th July. However, before it left it did enjoy a couple of high-profile outings, giving its many fans a final chance to enjoy a ride on the car in Blackpool.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Heaton Park Tramway | 1 Comment

Picture in Time: Croydon Tramlink

Posted on Tuesday 17 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

Today Picture in Time is heading to South London for an image from a tram on test on Tramlink.

Continue reading →

Posted in London Trams, Picture in Time | Comments Off on Picture in Time: Croydon Tramlink

In Pictures: Lowestoft Trams at East Anglia Transport Museum

Posted on Monday 16 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

The East Anglia Transport Museum is the home to two local trams, both from Lowestoft. The more famous of the two is open topper 14 which continues to be restored in the depot whilst the second is in use as an exhibition and has recently enjoyed a repaint.

Continue reading →

Posted in East Anglia Transport Museum | 1 Comment

In Pictures: Blue is the colour as West Midlands Metro new livery unveiled

Posted on Monday 16 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

Some three weeks after Midland Metro became West Midlands Metro the new livery has been unveiled and it would be fair to say its very blue! Battery fitted 31 is the tram which has received the vinyls first off with the tram entering service for the first time in the new look for the evening rush hour on Monday 16th July.

Continue reading →

Posted in West Midlands Metro | 1 Comment

Man suffers serious injuries after becoming trapped under tram

Posted on Sunday 15 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

A man suffered life threatening injuries after becoming trapped under a tram in Oldham Town Centre in the early hours of Saturday 7th July. The incident happened close to the tramstop at Oldham Central at approximately 0020 with no details released into what happened. The man – said to be in his 40s – was taken to hospital with life threatening injuries.

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | Comments Off on Man suffers serious injuries after becoming trapped under tram

This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Sunday 15 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

Two more Photo Galleries for you this week including a British Trams Online debut:

Continue reading →

Posted in Seaton Tramway, Site News, Tyne and Wear Metro | Comments Off on This week on British Trams Online

West Midlands Metro extensions approach next stage of construction

Posted on Saturday 14 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

Currently of all the tram systems in the UK the one which is about to undergo the biggest expansion is West Midlands Metro with work underway on two lines – and more to come in the forthcoming years – at each end of the current system between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. These two extensions – Wolverhampton City Centre and Birmingham Westside – are now approaching their latest phases which will see new road closures for other traffic.

Continue reading →

Posted in West Midlands Metro | Comments Off on West Midlands Metro extensions approach next stage of construction

Picture in Time: Great Orme Tramway

Posted on Saturday 14 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

Today we take a trip to North Wales for a couple of different than usual images from the Great Orme Tramway.

Continue reading →

Posted in Great Orme Tramway, Picture in Time | Comments Off on Picture in Time: Great Orme Tramway

Safety warning in Manchester over tram surfing incidents

Posted on Saturday 14 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

“Tram surfing” – where people hang on the back of trams or in some cases on the couplers between two trams – is an activity which has been popular with youths across the UK for a long time. But after a high profile spate of incidents in Manchester – and covered in the Manchester Evening News – an urgent safety warning has been issued about how dangerous this can be.

Continue reading →

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 2 Comments

Ratchet Car 14 makes its first moves on the mainline

Posted on Friday 13 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

For just over three years Ratchet Car 14 has been enjoying a major restoration jointly done by paid staff from Isle of Man Railways and volunteers and now the culmination of the project is rapidly approaching with the tram making its first tentative moves onto the mainline ahead of the commencement of the testing and commissioning period.

Continue reading →

Posted in Manx Electric Railway | Comments Off on Ratchet Car 14 makes its first moves on the mainline

In Pictures: First track laid on Blackpool North Station extension

Posted on Friday 13 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

A major milestone has been reached in the project to extend the Blackpool Tramway up Talbot Road to Blackpool North Railway Station – the first new rails have been laid as the project continue to make progress with Blackpool Council also this week confirming the extension is on target with all track due to be in place by February 2019.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 2 Comments

In Pictures: Track laying in Wolverhampton

Posted on Thursday 12 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

We reported a few days ago about the start of tracklaying in Wolverhampton City Centre for the extension of West Midlands Metro and now we can bring you photos of the latest progress on this work. This is just one of several stages of work on the extension and although this will be completed later this summer the whole line won’t be available for trams to run until 2020 with work on the redevelopment around the Railway Station delayed. Gregor Baddeley with the images.

Continue reading →

Posted in West Midlands Metro | Comments Off on In Pictures: Track laying in Wolverhampton

Balloon cars to dominate Fleetwood Tram Sunday

Posted on Thursday 12 July 2018 by Andrew Waddington

The annual Fleetwood Festival of Transport – more commonly known as Tram Sunday – takes place this year on Sunday 15th July, and as usual Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours will be providing a bumper service between Pleasure Beach and Fisherman’s Walk (Ash Street Fleetwood) for the duration of the event. To provide the maximum possible capacity for what is often a very busy event, the Balloon cars feature heavily but a few other trams will also be appearing.

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway | Comments Off on Balloon cars to dominate Fleetwood Tram Sunday

Around the World in Trams: Bendigo Trams 610

Posted on Thursday 12 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

We are going down under for this edition of our world trip of trams with a visit to Bendigo in Australia.

Continue reading →

Posted in Around the World in Trams | Comments Off on Around the World in Trams: Bendigo Trams 610

In Preview: Manx Heritage Transport Festival 2018

Posted on Wednesday 11 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

For obvious reasons a lot of attention has gone towards the September events for the 125th Anniversary of the Manx Electric Railway this year but let’s not forget that the annual Manx Heritage Transport Festival also takes place with the dates this year being 25th to 29th July. With the MER celebrating such a major milestone it will feature heavily throughout all five days of the event along with the other railways and tramways on the island.

Continue reading →

Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, Event Previews, Manx Electric Railway, Snaefell Mountain Railway | Comments Off on In Preview: Manx Heritage Transport Festival 2018

More overhead woes on West Midlands Metro

Posted on Wednesday 11 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

Copy and paste here…Well, that is exactly how it feels at the moment as there have been more problems with the overhead of the West Midlands Metro today (Wednesday 11th July) causing yet more issues for regular and irregular travellers alike. This latest issue reared its head at the same location as just a day previously with services disrupted for several hours before a temporary fix was put in place.

Continue reading →

Posted in West Midlands Metro | Comments Off on More overhead woes on West Midlands Metro

In Pictures: Adverts complete in Edinburgh

Posted on Tuesday 10 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

It was obviously only going to be a matter of time but all 27 trams in Edinburgh now have external adverts in the standard pattern of full height vinyls of the third and fifth section and above window ads on the remainder of the tram. The last to succumb is 264 which has received an advert for Edinburgh Park and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Continue reading →

Posted in Edinburgh Trams | Comments Off on In Pictures: Adverts complete in Edinburgh

‘Princess Alice’ appeal goes online!

Posted on Tuesday 10 July 2018 by Andrew Waddington

Following a number of requests, the Fylde Tramway Society have today launched an online platform to raise money for its recently announced ‘Princess Alice’ 706 Restoration Appeal. Fans of this iconic Blackpool tram can now donate towards the appeal at https://www.gofundme.com/039princess-alice039-706-appeal

Continue reading →

Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Fylde Tramway Society | Comments Off on ‘Princess Alice’ appeal goes online!

Repairs completed as normal service is resumed

Posted on Tuesday 10 July 2018 by Gareth Prior

Normal service was finally resumed on West Midlands Metro shortly after 1800 on Tuesday 10th July following the completion of repairs to the overhead just to the north of Winson Green Outer Circle stop. As we reported yesterday a fault was discovered with the overhead around lunchtime with services then disrupted as the problems was first investigated before repairs were undertaken.

Continue reading →

Posted in West Midlands Metro | 1 Comment