Snow causes problems for Stagecoach Supertram

Posted on Saturday 3 January 2015 by Gareth Prior

Snow – it looks nice and is lovely when you don’t have to go anywhere but it can also cause major travel chaos and that is exactly what happened on Stagecoach Supertram after a 4” snow fall starting on Boxing Day in South Yorkshire meant services were severely affected. With staff members unable to get into work, frozen points and the problem of motorists abandoning their vehicles on the tracks Saturday 27th December proved to be a difficult day for Supertram but despite these setbacks a service was operated across all of the network by the end of the day, with the exception of the Purple route to Herdings Park.

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Posted in South Yorkshire Supertram | 2 Comments

Derailment on London Tramlink

Posted on Saturday 3 January 2015 by Gareth Prior

London Tramlink CR4000 2544 derailed late on Monday 29th December on the approach to Mitcham Junction causing the service to be suspended between Mitcham Junction and Belgrave Walk. Full details of the incident are not yet known but from a photo published on the Croydon Guardian website it appears that the derailment occurred when the track splits from single to double line. The tram came off the rails shortly after midnight (so in fact it happened on Tuesday 30th December) and a full investigation was immediately launched. Unfortunately it would appear that there was a delay in this being started as the tram remained in situ at Mitcham Junction overnight and through until shortly after 1500 when it was returned to Therapia Lane Depot having been rerailed. Throughout the disruption a shuttle bus was in operation from Mitcham Junction to Morden Road with a one tram service from Wimbledon to Belgrave Walk (every 30 minutes) and a normal 7/8 minute frequency from Mitcham Junction to New Addington.

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Metro extension to New Cross back on the cards?

Posted on Saturday 3 January 2015 by Gareth Prior

The latest Wolverhampton City Council city centre action plan has seemingly revived plans for a Midland Metro extension to serve New Cross Hospital. Originally on the table as part of the Five Ws line (which would have connected Wolverhampton, Wednesfield, Willenhall, Walsall and Wednesbury) the plans had seemingly been abandoned but the plan from Wolverhampton City Council, which is looking ahead to the 2015-2026 period, is looking at whether the idea of running trams to New Cross is feasible.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 3 Comments

In Pictures: Enter the Green Route!

Posted on Saturday 3 January 2015 by Gareth Prior

On both Boxing Day and New Years Day Stagecoach Supertram operated a special festive timetable which saw the Blue route run from Halfway to Meadowhall via Cathedral. As this saw the trams in effect run on both the Blue and Yellow routes the destination displays were altered to show a new route for Supertram – the Green route! Well blue and yellow does make green! Thanks to Nigel Eagin for the photo.

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Metrolink 1 Fireworks 0

Posted on Saturday 3 January 2015 by Gareth Prior

As the clock struck midnight revellers across the UK celebrated the start of a new year with fireworks going off all around, except that is in Manchester where the new year fireworks did not go off until 0004! And the reason for the delay in the fireworks? Manchester Metrolink! A Metrolink LRV was in the “danger zone” at Piccadilly Gardens at midnight and it was decided it would be unsafe to let the fireworks go off whilst it was there. Needless to say this delay seems to have been another reason for people to have a go at Metrolink – it may be a new year but some things never change!

Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 7 Comments

Man airlifted to hospital after being hit by tram

Posted on Saturday 3 January 2015 by Gareth Prior

A 22 year old man was airlifted to hospital after being hit by a Midland Metro tram on Bilston Road between Priestfield and The Royal on Thursday 1st January. The pedestrian was knocked unconscious in the incident, which happened at 0830, but according to the local ambulance service did not have any further noticeable injuries. Tram services were terminated at Priestfield whilst the man was treated at the scene before he was taken to hospital. Normal operations resumed from 1030. An investigation has been launched into the incident.

Posted in West Midlands Metro | 1 Comment

Lytham 43 set for a return to the Fylde

Posted on Friday 2 January 2015 by Andrew Waddington

2014 has certainly been a year of amazing and unexpected developments in the UK tram preservation movement, and that continued right until the final few days of the year with a very welcome announcement from the Blackpool Heritage Trust. It has been confirmed that plans are afoot for the custodians of Blackpool’s heritage tram fleet to add to their already impressive collection by re-creating a Lytham St Annes tramcar, using parts from the sole survivor of this long-closed system.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 1 Comment

Wirral Transport Museum to open after Christmas

Posted on Wednesday 24 December 2014 by Gareth Prior

The Wirral Transport Museum will be open to the public on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th December providing a post-Christmas chance to see the stunning restoration of Liverpool 245 and progress on the other restoration project: Warrington 2. If there are enough volunteers a tram service will be run from 1250 on each day but if you are travelling please check with the Museum whether any trams are running. With Beamish, Seaton and Summerlee also open at times over the Christmas and New Year period there is still chance in 2014 to ride on a traditional tram!

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This week on British Trams Online

Posted on Tuesday 23 December 2014 by Gareth Prior

Our final main site update is now online with lots of photos to hopefully keep all of you entertained over the Christmas period:

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Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year

Posted on Sunday 21 December 2014 by Gareth Prior

So here we are again at the end of another year (although it really doesn’t seem like 12 months ago since we were saying the same thing!) and as is traditional we start to look back at what has happened in 2014 but also to look forward to 2015. We won’t be having a full and comprehensive review of the year this year but what follows are some memories of the year from your Editor (and I have probably forgotten some major events so if you favourite isn’t included sorry!)

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Posted in Site News | 25 Comments

Douglas Horse Tramway to run in 2015 after all

Posted on Saturday 20 December 2014 by Gareth Prior

The ongoing saga of the future of the Douglas Horse Tramway has taken another turn with the news breaking that the Promenade works are to be delayed until the Autumn allowing another “final” season of operation. It had been expected that no horse trams would run in 2015 because these works would have prevented operating but with them not now likely to be taking place it is business as usual.

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Posted in Douglas Bay Horse Tramway | 7 Comments

In Pictures: New line opens through Deansgate-Castlefield

Posted on Saturday 20 December 2014 by Gareth Prior

All services through Deansgate-Castlefield are now using the island platform following the completion of the latest stage of transformation works at the stop. The first outbound services to use the island platform were on Wednesday 17th December – as planned – with the previous outbound platform now closed to passengers as transformation works are moved to complete the major works at this stop. For the next few months city bound services will use the outer face of the island platform and the outbound services will stop at the inner face (which was previously used by city bound journeys).

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 2 Comments

Christmas & New Year services 2014/15

Posted on Saturday 20 December 2014 by Gareth Prior

Are you looking for an escape from new and imaginative ways of using up the leftover Turkey, rubbish television, family arguments during the Christmas and New Year period? Well fear not for all of the UK’s operating tramways will be operating a service throughout the period (with the exception of Christmas Day or in the case of Blackpool Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day) so there is an escape out there for you! This round-up gives brief details of exactly what service each of our tramways and light rail systems will be offering so you can still enjoy some tram action as another year draws to a close.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Docklands Light Railway, Edinburgh Trams, London Trams, Manchester Metrolink, Nottingham Express Transit, South Yorkshire Supertram, West Midlands Metro | Comments Off on Christmas & New Year services 2014/15

No feasibility study for Kimberley NET extension

Posted on Saturday 20 December 2014 by Gareth Prior

The possibility of extending Nottingham Express Transit to Kimberley has hit the back burner with the news that Broxtowe Borough Council have refused to fund the proposed feasibility study. This extension would have gone to the town from Phoenix Park and It had been hoped that the Council would vote to release £20,000 to allow a detailed study into whether it would be feasible to go-ahead. However at a full council meeting it was rejected by 6 to 4 with Labour councillors in favour and Conservative and Liberal Democrats against.

Posted in Nottingham Express Transit | 2 Comments

Another Midland Metro Urbos 3 arrives as a T69 is withdrawn

Posted on Tuesday 16 December 2014 by Gareth Prior

Tuesday 16th December saw the 17th CAF built Urbos 3 arrive on Midland Metro with the delivery of 33 to the depot at Wednesbury. The tram followed the same pattern of delivery as the previous 16 arriving on the back of two low loaders before it was unloaded and temporarily connected together. It has been a case of one in and one out though as T69 11 has become the latest of the fleet to be officially withdrawn from service and is now stored alongside 03 at the bottom of the depot yard.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 6 Comments

Trams return to The Royal

Posted on Tuesday 16 December 2014 by Gareth Prior

After more than three months of trams terminating at Priestfield Monday 15th December finally saw the return of Midland Metro services through to The Royal although anyone wishing to travel through to Wolverhampton St Georges will still have a wait with works continuing on the section of rail replacement along Bilston Road to the northern terminus.

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Platform changes at Deansgate-Castlefield

Posted on Tuesday 16 December 2014 by Gareth Prior

All Manchester Metrolink services running through Deansgate-Castlefield will use the new island platform from Wednesday 17th December – subject to final testing. Works have now been completed to allow the outer face of the island platform to be used by service trams with the ongoing work at this stop now being moved to the existing and original outbound platform.

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Enhanced service for London Tramlink on Sundays

Posted on Tuesday 16 December 2014 by Gareth Prior

As from 14th December passengers on the Wimbledon to New Addington route of London Tramlink can enjoy a higher frequency service on Sundays with the introduction of a new service. Whereas previously trams ran every 15 minutes throughout the day this has now been enhanced to every 7/8 minutes between 1000 and 1800.

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Metrolink fares to be frozen – for now

Posted on Tuesday 16 December 2014 by Gareth Prior

Transport for Greater Manchester have confirmed that there will be no fare rises on any Metrolink fares in January although this is only likely to delay the increases with paper tickets being reviewed at the end of August 2015 and get me there smart tickets in January 2016.

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Midland Metro fares to rise

Posted on Tuesday 16 December 2014 by Gareth Prior

Fares on Midland Metro are due to increase from Friday 2nd January 2015 although National Express West Midlands have said that they have tried to keep these to a minimum. Despite this all child singles will increase by 5p, child returns by at least 10p, adult singles by 10p and adult returns by at least 20p. There will also be increases on period Metro Cards.

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Posted in West Midlands Metro | 2 Comments