Edinburgh Trams scores high for customer service

Posted on Friday 7 April 2017 by Gareth Prior

Edinburgh Trams has been named as one of the UK’s top transport operators for customer service. The Institute of Customer Service (ICS) undertook a survey earlier this year and awarded Edinburgh Trams a score of 85.8 – more than 11 points above the transport industry average.

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Posted in Edinburgh Trams | 1 Comment

Stagecoach Supertram service change: Sunday 16th & Monday 17th April

Posted on Friday 7 April 2017 by Gareth Prior

Services on Stagecoach Supertram will be affected by further works to connect the Supertram track to the Network Rail route to Rotherham over Easter with no trams able to run between Meadowhall South and Meadowhall Interchange on Sunday 16th and Monday 17th April. Buses will operate between these two stops with Yellow route trams only running from Middlewood to Meadowhall South, the Purple route will operate from Herdings Park to Cathedral. A Sunday service will be in operation on both days.

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Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | 1 Comment

Midland Metro service change: Friday 14th to Wednesday 19th April

Posted on Friday 7 April 2017 by Gareth Prior

All Midland Metro trams will be terminating at Bull Street once again over the Easter weekend from Friday 14th April (either until the end of Monday 17th or Wednesday 19th April depending on which part of the Midland Metro website you believe!). Works are required on the City Centre extension less than a year since it opened to the public. Throughout this period services will run between Bull Street and Wolverhampton St George’s. Included in the work will be repaving around the terminus at Grand Central and further work will follow later in April.

Posted in West Midlands Metro | 6 Comments

RAIB report into fatality on NET released

Posted on Friday 7 April 2017 by Gareth Prior

On 15th August 2016 a member of the public was hit by Citadis 225 between David Lane and Basford tram stops, tragically suffering fatal injuries. The incident was subject to a full investigation by the RAIB and they have recently released their report which has shown that miscommunication within the control room was the direct cause of the collision happening.

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Happy Birthday Manchester Metrolink!

Posted on Thursday 6 April 2017 by Gareth Prior

Thursday 6th April 2017 marks the 25th anniversary of Manchester Metrolink running its first passenger services. Since the first lines opened to the public the network has gone from strength to strength with recent years seeing major expansion leading to the 60 miles, 93 stop system we know today.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 2 Comments

Picture in Time: Blackpool Coronation 314

Posted on Thursday 6 April 2017 by Gareth Prior

Today Picture in Time is once again in Blackpool and this time around we take a look at a tram which is now scrapped – it is Coronation Car 314.

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Manchester Metrolink service change: Sunday 9th April

Posted on Wednesday 5 April 2017 by Gareth Prior

Further track maintenance work in Manchester City Centre will see Metrolink services altered again on Sunday 9th April. This time the work is on the section between Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly with a replacement bus service in use in operation.

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In Pictures: Bury to Altrincham services on 2CC

Posted on Tuesday 4 April 2017 by Gareth Prior

Sunday 2nd April saw the first use of Manchester Metrolink’s Second City Crossing (2CC) for services other than between the East Didsbury and Oldham and Rochdale lines with Bury to Altrincham services diverted to use the line because of essential maintenance work on the original city crossing.

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Picture in Time: Bournemouth 85

Posted on Tuesday 4 April 2017 by Gareth Prior

A tram which was in the news last year for its transfer of ownership is the feature of today’s Picture in Time – Bournemouth 85.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum, Picture in Time | 7 Comments

Heaton Park Tramway celebrate MTMS 50th anniversary in style

Posted on Monday 3 April 2017 by Gareth Prior

Sunday 2nd April saw the Heaton Park Tramway celebrate 50 years of the Manchester Transport Museum Society with no fewer than nine trams featuring on the day in one form or another including an impressive four trams in service.

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Posted in Event Reviews, Heaton Park Tramway | 3 Comments

Event Preview: Rush Hour on the Railways – Isle of Man

Posted on Sunday 2 April 2017 by Gareth Prior

Now an established part of the operating season across the Isle of Man’s various railways and tramways, Rush Hour on the Railways will once again be taking place over the Easter weekend. This time the four day spectacular will be followed the Festival of Steam which will include Heavy Haulage on Manx Roads.

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Picture in Time: Croydon Tramlink 2536

Posted on Saturday 1 April 2017 by Gareth Prior

Our latest modern tram image in the archive photo series Picture in Time comes from Croydon as we take a look at a tram during the pre-opening period in 1999 of CR4000 2536.

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In Pictures: Summer sunshine for Winter Gold in Blackpool

Posted on Friday 31 March 2017 by Andrew Waddington

The latest Gold operating weekend for Blackpool’s heritage trams took place on the weekend of 25th & 26th March. Although billed as a ‘Winter Gold’ event, this actually took place a few days after spring had officially started, whilst the start of British summertime also occurred over the same weekend. The familiar pattern of having a frequent heritage tram service using six trams on each day ran, with a number of old favourites making a welcome return to use following a winter lay-off.

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Delays in “Saving Volks” project likely to see no service this summer

Posted on Friday 31 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

The Volks Electric Railway looks set to miss it first summer season since 1948 following delays to the “Saving Volks” Lottery funded project. a previously unknown – but live – gas supply was found during the demolition of the car sheds and this caused delays to the project which mean the expected end date will now not be achieved.

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In Pictures: Edinburgh Trams – just because

Posted on Friday 31 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

A system which we haven’t featured pictorially for a while is Edinburgh Trams so, with thanks to John Hampton, we bring you a small selection of photos showing the line it its full glory doing just what it was designed for – transporting people around the Scottish capital.

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In Pictures: Track machine at Shaw & Crompton

Posted on Friday 31 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

Recently spotted stabled in the bay platform at Shaw & Crompton has been a VolkerRail Tamper Machine. The machine is currently on Metrolink metals for use during regular maintenance work with Manchester Metrolink not actually possessing their own equipment to undertake this work. Paul Gilbert provides us with the following image.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 2 Comments

See behind the scenes at the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway

Posted on Thursday 30 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

Behind the scenes tours at the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway stables will again be taking place in 2017 with the first tours due on the first day of the season – Saturday 8th April (only just over a week away!). The “Meet the Trammers” stable tours will be run by the Friends of Douglas Bay Horse Tramway in cooperation with Isle of Man Transport with two tours due to take place on each scheduled day at 1000 and 1100.

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Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway | 4 Comments

Tram Driving Experience Day at Black Country Living Museum

Posted on Thursday 30 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

The latest heritage tramway in the UK to offer a Tram Driving Experience Day is the Black County Living Museum although if you want to get your hands on a 3’6” gauge tram you will have to be quick as only four places on each day are available!

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Unusual destinations on Metrolink

Posted on Thursday 30 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

With the Second City Crossing now firmly established as part of the Manchester Metrolink network you would think that the system would cease to surprise but on Sunday 26th March planned engineering works and the unsafe building on Drake Street, Rochdale saw unusual destinations carried on the trams.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Balloon 721

Posted on Thursday 30 March 2017 by Gareth Prior

Its time for another trip to the northwest coast and the Blackpool Tramway for this instalment of Picture in Time. This time around we feature Blackpool Balloon Car 721 in 2005 at which time it was carrying an all over advert for Hot Ice.

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