Manchester Metrolink Performance Update

Posted on Friday 13 December 2013 by Gareth Prior

The latest statistics of Manchester Metrolink have been released giving details on the performance of the service, any major incidents, trams out of service and the number of complaints received. The latest document concentrates on periods 5, 6 and 7 (Monday 19th August to Sunday 10th November) and a summary of this is provided below. Of note is that the well documented problems experienced in period 7 (Cornbrook issues and ice on the overhead) are discussed with an update of what has been done to try and solve these given.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 3 Comments

Overhead problems cause delays for Tramlink

Posted on Friday 13 December 2013 by Gareth Prior

Services between Wimbledon and Therapia Lane were suspended on Tuesday 10th December during the morning rush hour after a fault with the overhead lines was discovered. Engineers were quickly despatched to the scene to repair the fault but trams were unable to resume until shortly after 1000.

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Queens Road Metrolink stop to open 16th December

Posted on Thursday 12 December 2013 by Gareth Prior

Monday 16th December will see one stop open and one close as the new Queens Road stop will welcome its first passengers as Woodlands Road is officially closed. The Queens Road stop is replacing the former staff only halt at this location and will provide a bright and modern facility for passengers and as a result of its opening Woodlands Road – which has only recently been used outside of peak times during the week – will be completely closed.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 3 Comments

Thank-you and goodnight from Blackpool 680

Posted on Thursday 12 December 2013 by Andrew Waddington

An extremely hectic week of tram moves by road in and around Blackpool has concluded with the departure from Rigby Road of Ex-Towing car 680 in the early hours of Thursday 12th December. The tram, which was sold to the Manchester Transport Museum Society almost four years ago (doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun!), has moved to Beamish Museum where it will operate over the winter and early spring period, before moving to a more permanent home at Manchester’s Heaton Park Tramway.

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Sheffield 264 – one becomes three!

Posted on Wednesday 11 December 2013 by Andrew Waddington

Whilst various historic tramcars were being transported back home to Blackpool’s Rigby Road depot, another fascinating series of events was also unfolding in the North East. At Beamish Museum, work has finally got underway on starting the major restoration of Sheffield 264, a tram which last ran in regular service at the museum about a decade ago and has been stored awaiting overhaul for many years.

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Blackpool Jubilee car back on home turf

Posted on Wednesday 11 December 2013 by Andrew Waddington

The Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust’s preserved Blackpool Jubilee car 761 made a very welcome return to Blackpool’s Rigby Road tram depot on Wednesday 11th December, after spending just over two years languishing in an industrial yard at Fleetwood. Although not currently part of Blackpool Transport’s heritage tram collection, the move has ensured that 761 will now be stored much more securely, after being exposed to the harsh coastal climate since its initial departure in November 2011.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust | 4 Comments

The Brush cars are back with a vengence!

Posted on Wednesday 11 December 2013 by Andrew Waddington

The task of returning the numerous Lancastrian Transport Trust trams to Blackpool Transport’s premises for inclusion in the company’s expanded heritage tram collection took another giant leap forwards on Tuesday 10th December, when two more old friends were transported back to Rigby Road. Following the return of Coronation 663 and Balloon 715 on Monday 9th December, this time it was the turn of two contrasting Brush cars to regain their rightful place on the Blackpool tramway.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Fylde Transport Trust | 1 Comment

Blackpool Balloon 715 goes home

Posted on Monday 9 December 2013 by Andrew Waddington

Mere hours after Blackpool Coronation car 663 returned to the safety of Rigby Road depot, another much-loved Blackpool tramcar was brought back home to join the town’s heritage tram fleet. Unlike 663, Balloon 715 is a tram that most of us will remember seeing and riding on at Blackpool as it was in regular service until fairly recently and only departed from its home system last year.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Fylde Transport Trust | 5 Comments

Blackpool Coronation cars reunited at Rigby Road

Posted on Monday 9 December 2013 by Andrew Waddington

On Monday 9th December, all three surviving Blackpool ‘Coronation’ cars were reunited at the town’s Rigby Road tram depot for the first time since 1975. On this day, cars 304 and 660 were joined by 663, which had made the short journey from the former Lancastrian Transport Trust depot at Brinwell Street. This brought to an end the latest period of uncertainty in the life of a tram that has endured a rather chequered career in preservation since leaving Blackpool back in 1976.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway, Fylde Transport Trust | 7 Comments

Time running out for Blackpool Balloon 716

Posted on Saturday 7 December 2013 by Gareth Prior

When the Blackpool Tramway fleet started to be sold around the country one of the most surprising purchases saw Blackpool Balloon 716 head north to Perth in Scotland where it was planned to be used as an office by Ptarmigan Transport Solutions Limited. But now over three years since it made the journey north its future is in huge doubt after Ptarmigan Transport Solutions Limited went into liquidation in mid November 2013.

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 17 Comments

NET 204 returns to service after refresh

Posted on Saturday 7 December 2013 by Gareth Prior

After a break of nearly five months another tram has entered service on Nottingham Express Transit in new mainly silver fleet livery. The tram in question is 204, which was previously in the blue based “Glide in Nottingham” livery, and was first seen operating in the new livery on 4th December. The tram has received the full interior refresh and has also become the first of the refreshed trams to feature external advertising.

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Metrolink fares to rise by average 4.2%

Posted on Saturday 7 December 2013 by Gareth Prior

It has been confirmed that fares on Manchester Metrolink are to increase by an average of 4.2% in January 2014 – in line with the agreed financial strategy that underpins Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s established major investment programme. The 4.2% works out as RPI+1%, which is the usual way of working out fare increases on the network.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 6 Comments

Government award £5 million for Supertram track replacement

Posted on Saturday 7 December 2013 by Gareth Prior

The Department for Transport have awarded £5 million to go towards the replacement of tracks on the Stagecoach Supertram system. This money is a one off payment and has been made to South Yorkshire PTE who will be delivering the track replacement project alongside Stagecoach and Sheffield City Council.

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New look for front of DLR trains revealed

Posted on Saturday 7 December 2013 by Gareth Prior

The Docklands Light Railway have revealed which of the three designs for the front of some of their trains has won an online vote which took place over the past couple of weeks. The winning design – which received over 65% of the total votes – is option C which includes a mainly black front – in a very similar style to that of the newer trains which have entered service over the past few years.

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News in brief from Crich

Posted on Saturday 7 December 2013 by Andrew Waddington

The latest edition of the Tramway Musuem Society Journal reports on a number of interesting developments at Crich. As many of these can be explained fairly briefly it is not felt that they warrant their own individual articles, and so here some of the more important items of news are brought together for your reading pleasure.

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Posted in National Tramway Museum | 2 Comments

In Pictures: Trams reach York Place for first time

Posted on Thursday 5 December 2013 by Gareth Prior

57 years. That is how long it has been since the last tram ran down Princes Street in Edinburgh city centre, until last night that is! As planned the very first test run between Haymarket and York Place took place overnight on Wednesday 4th/Thursday 5th December and everything seemed to go according to plan, in fact the testing was completed earlier than planned and the tram was able to return to Gogar Depot in the early hours of Friday 5th December before most of Edinburgh stirred for another day.

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Driver Training starts on Oldham town centre line

Posted on Thursday 5 December 2013 by Gareth Prior

Driver training has started on the Oldham town centre extension of Manchester Metrolink this week as further progress is made towards the opening of the line in early 2014. The driving training commenced on Wednesday 4th December and is as essential part of the commissioning process of the line.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 2 Comments

Trafford Centre Metrolink extension moves a step closer

Posted on Thursday 5 December 2013 by Gareth Prior

The Transport for Greater Manchester Committee are due to meet this week to discuss plans for an extension of the Metrolink system to serve the Trafford Centre. A 5.5km route has been earmarked which would leave the current network close to Pomona before making its way to the Trafford Centre. Funding has already been provided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to get the scheme “shovel ready” including enough for an extra 10 trams.

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Posted in Manchester Metrolink | 7 Comments

Blackpool tramway affected by severe storms

Posted on Thursday 5 December 2013 by Andrew Waddington

Much of the country has been severely affected by adverse weather conditions on Thursday 5th December, and the Fylde coast was no exception. Despite the multi-million pound investment in a new sea wall for Blackpool’s promenade over the past decade, the seafront was severely affected with the whole of the promenade, tramway and adjacent roadway underwater!

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Posted in Blackpool Tramway | 3 Comments

Tonight’s the Night! First tram set to run down Princes Street

Posted on Wednesday 4 December 2013 by Gareth Prior

It has been confirmed that tonight (Wednesday 4th December) will see the first tram to run down Princes Street as part of the continued testing of the new Edinburgh Trams system. Following Mondays (see article – http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/news/?p=5849) successful tests between Edinburgh Park and Haymarket the last section of line down Princes Street and onto the terminus at York Place will now see its first tram movements which will mean, finally, at long last, the whole Edinburgh Trams system will have seen a tram on it.

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Posted in Edinburgh Trams | 3 Comments