In Pictures: Supertram 123 unveiled in new livery

Posted on Saturday 31 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

On Sunday 25th October Stagecoach Supertram held an Open Day at the Nunnery Square Depot with over 1800 visitors taking the opportunity to see behind the scenes. Included on the day was a behind the scenes tour (allowing visitors to see the accident damaged 118 and 120), cake, historic displays and the unveiling of 123 in a new livery with artwork by local artist Pete McKee.

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Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | 4 Comments

In Pictures: Metrolink welcomes 3106 to town

Posted on Saturday 31 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

The deliveries of Manchester Metrolink’s Bombardier built M5000 trams is continuing with Saturday 31st October seeing 3106 arriving at Queens Road Depot. Often when one new tram arrives the previous delivery has just entered service but on this occasion 3105 is still undergoing testing and mileage accumulation and at the time of writing has yet to carry its first passengers.

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In Pictures: Midland Metro Birmingham City Centre extension works

Posted on Saturday 31 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

No sooner had Midland Metro services stopped running into the original Snow Hill terminus workmen entered the site and started to dismantle 16 years of history. The overhead wires were swiftly removed and some track has also been lifted as attention is shifted towards connecting the extension to the current line just south of St Paul’s stop. Photos courtesy of Andy Walters.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 1 Comment

First tram to Exchange Square imminent

Posted on Saturday 31 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

It is expected that the early hours of Sunday 1st November will see the first tram run on Manchester Metrolink’s Second City Crossing (2CC) with an initial gauging run due to take place between Victoria and Exchange Square. This is the first step in services starting on the line which, as previously reported, is due to be before Christmas.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 2 Comments

In Pictures: Midland Metro Snow Hill last day

Posted on Saturday 31 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

Saturday 24th October saw something happen which is thankfully nowadays a rare occurrence – the closure of a section of tramway in the UK. This was the last day that you could go for a ride on a Midland Metro tram between St Paul’s and the Birmingham Snow Hill terminus as from the start of service the following day St Paul’s became the terminus to allow for the Birmingham City Centre extension to be connected to the current line.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 1 Comment

NET Citadis 227 named Sir Peter Mansfield

Posted on Saturday 31 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

The namings of the complete fleet of Nottingham Express Transit Citadis’ is continuing with the latest tram to receive transfers being 227 which is now named Sir Peter Mansfield. Sir Peter is one of the world’s most celebrated scientists and his work at the University of Nottingham played a key role in the invention of the MRI scanner. The naming took place at Wilkinson Street on Tuesday 27th October.

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Car collides with tram on Addiscombe Road

Posted on Saturday 31 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

London Tramlink has been the location for the latest car versus tram incident with a Mini running into the side of a tram on Tuesday 27th October. The collision took place on Lower Addiscombe Road just before 2100 and saw four people taken to hospital.

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12 injured after car/tram collision in Dublin

Posted on Saturday 31 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

A collision between a car and tram in Dublin on Friday 23rd October has seen 12 people suffering minor injuries. Details of what happened have not been reported but the collision happened on Suir Road, Inchicore on the Red Line shortly after 2200. Emergency services attended the scene to treat the injured with four being taken to hospital. Normal Luas services resumed after just over an hour.

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48 hour strike on DLR to start 3rd November

Posted on Saturday 31 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

The RMT have called a 48 hour strike on the Docklands Light Railway from 0359 on Tuesday 3rd November which is likely to see a complete suspension of all services on the network. The RMT have said there has been a complete breakdown in industrial relations with Keolis Amey Docklands and that they have no alternative but to strike.

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Boy suffers serious injury after leg gets trapped between tram and platform

Posted on Saturday 31 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

A 15 year old boy was taken to hospital late on Friday 23rd October after his leg got trapped between the platform edge and a tram at Piccadilly Gardens. All Metrolink services through Piccadilly Gardens stop were suspended for approximately two hours from 2210 whilst the boy was freed and he was then taken to hospital with a serious leg injury. An investigation is now underway into the cause of the incident.

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Manchester Airport line wins another award!

Posted on Saturday 31 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

Manchester Metrolink’s Airport extension has now won a fourth national award following the receipt of the Transport Policy, Planning and Implementation accolade at The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport’s Annual Awards for Excellence.

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Picture in Time: Blackpool Illuminated Frigate 736

Posted on Friday 30 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

You probably didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to work out which tram we were going to feature in this week’s Blackpool based Picture in Time as we conclude our look at the main Illuminated feature cars with a view of The Frigate 736 in 1998.

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Going for a ride…

Posted on Thursday 29 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

The end of the 2015 operating season for many heritage tramways is rapidly approaching with the next few days seeing Crich, East Anglia Transport Museum, Great Orme, Seaton, Snaefell Mountain Railway all welcoming their last passengers of the year. And then Blackpool and the Manx Electric Railway won’t be too far behind leaving just the usual suspects for winter operation. For full details of just when and where you can enjoy a ride on a traditional tram in the British Isles over the next week or so read on…

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Picture in Time: Seaton 12

Posted on Tuesday 27 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

Picture in Time heads south today for a visit to Eastbourne in 1968 where we see the tram we now know as Seaton no. 12 but in those days was probably actually Eastbourne or just plain old Modern Electric Tramway 12.

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Leeds 399 to light up Halloween at Crich

Posted on Sunday 25 October 2015 by Andrew Waddington

The Crich workshop team have created a very special extra attraction for this year’s Starlight event at the museum, by decorating Leeds 399 with illuminations. The tram has received a large number of coloured light bulbs and will be one of the stars of the six-day event which runs from Monday 26th October right up to and including Halloween evening itself, Saturday 31st October.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 11 Comments

Midland Metro says farewell to Snow Hill terminus

Posted on Sunday 25 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

At the end of service on Saturday 24th October Midland Metro ran into the original Snow Hill terminus for the last time with the track from St Paul’s leading into the dark and cramped terminus closed to allow for the new city centre extension to be connected to the existing line. This brought to an end over 16 years of use and becomes the first stop on Midland Metro to be permanently closed.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 11 Comments

Picture in Time: Stagecoach Supertram 106

Posted on Sunday 25 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

As Stagecoach Supertram are throwing open the doors to their depot today where better can we go for the latest Picture in Time image than Sheffield and a view of one of the many advertising liveries carried on one of the Siemens built trams over the years?

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In Pictures: Balloon 713’s big day out!

Posted on Saturday 24 October 2015 by Andrew Waddington

After the excitement of Wednesday 21st October in Blackpool (as previously mentioned on this website) with two ‘B Fleet’ Balloon cars running to Fleetwood and the little-used 723 working an illuminations tour, fans of the seaside tramway could have been forgiven for thinking the tram action had peaked for the week. That view was challenged however, on Friday 23rd October when Balloon 713 was unexpectedly used on specials – its first use in passenger service for well over two years!

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 5 Comments

Douglas Horse Tramway to run in 2016

Posted on Friday 23 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

It has been confirmed that a full service will run on the Douglas Horse Tramway in 2016 as the tramway celebrates its 140th anniversary. The news was revealed by the Friends of Douglas Bay Horse Tramway this week and seems to suggests that the major reconstruction works expected on the Promenade have once again been delayed. It has also been announced that Santa Trams will run over the weekend of 19th and 20th December.

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Supertram services resume after collision

Posted on Friday 23 October 2015 by Gareth Prior

Stagecoach Supertram have resumed full services on the Blue and Yellow routes following the removal of the trams involved in the collision at Shalesmoor on Thursday 22nd October. Despite initial external appearances 118 had actually suffered more severe damage than 120 and had to be split for further investigation before being towed to depot.

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Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | 1 Comment