More Tramlink closures planned

Posted on Sunday 3 June 2012 by Gareth Prior

The continued work on capacity enhancement on London Tramlink will see the Elmers End branch and the section between Mitcham and Mitcham Junction closed again in the coming weeks.

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MediaCityUK Metrolink service changes on 4th June

Posted on Sunday 3 June 2012 by Gareth Prior

Because of the Great Manchester Cycle Event taking place on Monday 4th June no Metrolink services will run to MediaCityUK before 1600. Any passengers are advised to travel on Eccles line services and use either Broadway or Harbour City. Normal services will resume between Piccadilly and MediaCityUK from 1600.

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NET £5 Group ticket back for Jubilee Bank Holiday & Half Term

Posted on Sunday 3 June 2012 by Gareth Prior

The highly popular £5 Family Group Ticket is back for the Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend and following Half Term week on Nottingham Express Transit. This ticket allows up to two adults and three children to travel across the NET system all day for just £5 and has proved to be popular with families when it was previously available this year.

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RAIB release report into Metrolink pedestrian fatality

Posted on Sunday 3 June 2012 by Gareth Prior

Nearly a year after the event the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) have released their report into an incident which occurred on Manchester Metrolink on 5th June 2011. A pedestrian was hit and fatality injured at Piccadilly Gardens at 0016 on this date having run into the path of a tram. As usual the RAIB have given the causes for the accident and have also given a couple of recommendations.

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Tramlink suffers delays twice in as many days

Posted on Sunday 3 June 2012 by Gareth Prior

There were delays on London Tramlink for two consecutive delays for two non-related reasons. Firstly flash flooding caused delays on Wednesday 30th May and then an accident involving a cyclist and a car caused further problems the following day.

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More Oldham Metrolink construction road closures announced

Posted on Sunday 3 June 2012 by Gareth Prior

The work to build the Oldham Town Centre extension of Manchester Metrolink is continuing at pace with another road closure announced for two months to facilitate utility diversion work and to construct the tramway trackslab in King Street. King Street will be closed to southbound traffic from Manchester Street to Union Street for approximately two months from Wednesday 6th June.

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Update on Blackpool’s widened Balloons

Posted on Saturday 2 June 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Not much has been said about the fleet of widened Balloon cars in Blackpool of late, but behind the scenes cars 711 and 719 are still under modification in the workshops at Rigby Road in readiness for their future role on the upgraded Blackpool tramway. This comes in spite of some doubts as to how much use the rebuilt double-deckers will actually see, with very few appearances by these trams recorded so far this season.

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Lowestoft 14 basks in the limelight

Posted on Saturday 2 June 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Lowestoft 14 has been undergoing restoration at the East Anglia Transport Museum since 2005 and in the last few years, significant progress in returning this tram to operating condition has been made. Since work commenced the tram has rarely, if ever, emerged from its spot at the back of the museum’s tram depot – but that changed on Sunday 27th May, when 14 was brought outside for a very special event.

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Enthusiasts invited to design a tram livery!

Posted on Thursday 31 May 2012 by Andrew Waddington

The North Eastern Electrical Traction Trust recently confirmed their purchase of Blackpool Centenary car 647 following its withdrawal by Blackpool Transport at the end of 2011. 647 is undoubtedly a very important tram as it represents the very last traditional standard-gauge passenger tram built in the British Isles. However, in its current condition the car has never carried a proper fleet livery, making the choice of livery to preserve it in a dilemma for its new owners.

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Crich confirm Blackpool tram parade

Posted on Thursday 31 May 2012 by Andrew Waddington

More details have now been revealed about the various events planned at Crich Tramway Village for Sunday 3rd June. This day will see the launch of newly overhauled Blackpool ‘Boat’ 236 which co-incides with the now annual ‘Beside the Seaside’ event, and to mark the occasion a series of additional attractions will be put on to hopefully tempt even more tram enthuasists to visit.

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Welcome back to Centenary car 648!

Posted on Wednesday 30 May 2012 by Andrew Waddington

In a welcome move, Blackpool Transport have confirmed that Centenary car 648 will shortly be making a return to service as an extra car for use on their new heritage tram tours. Having last run on the final day of the 2011 season, it was at that time expected that none of the Centenary class would run in Blackpool again but this decision has now been reversed much quicker than anyone could have predicted back then.

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New works vehicle for Heaton Park

Posted on Sunday 27 May 2012 by Andrew Waddington

May 2012 saw a new addition to the fleet of working vehicles at Manchester’s Heaton Park Tramway. Unlike the last two arrivals, Stockport 5 and Blackpool 623, this one arrived almost unnoticed with no launch ceremony and no celebratory cake – but that’s quite understandable as the item in question is not actually a tram, but the latest addition to the works fleet!

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‘George Formby’ tram prepares for service

Posted on Sunday 27 May 2012 by Andrew Waddington

Work on preparing Blackpool Boat car 604 for a return to service is nearing completion, with the tram having now left the Paint Shop in a fresh coat of green and cream. As we have reported previously, the tram is being sponsored by the George Formby Society and will be named ‘George Formby MBE’, as well as receiving images of the iconic Blackpool performer on its trolley tower.

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Metrolink 3053 arrives in Manchester

Posted on Saturday 26 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

Metrolink M5000 3053 has become the latest of the new trams for Manchester to arrive in the City. The tram was seen coming off the M602 at 1110 on Saturday 26th May from where it would then have gone to the Queens Road depot for initial commissioning work. Once this commissioning work is completed the tram will be moved to Old Trafford depot
where it will await an entry into service.

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Lost Trams 2: Blackpool Dreadnought 59

Posted on Saturday 26 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

With much of the UK currently sweltering under nice warm sunshine it is rather apt that the second tram to feature in our irregular “Lost Trams” series is an open topper – Blackpool Dreadnought 59. This very popular tram has been out of the public eye since it was moved to the National Tramway Museum’s Clay Cross store in 1995 and in weather like this it is badly missed.

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Tramlink Engineering Works

Posted on Saturday 26 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

Two sets of engineering works on London Tramlink are taking place over the next few
days as work progresses on increasing capacity on the network. Firstly the line between Mitcham and Mitcham Junction is closed again on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th May with trams running as far as Mitcham Junction from New Addington, a replacement bus service between Mitcham Junction and Mitcham and then a shuttle tram service from there to Wimbledon. This closure is in connection with the work to double track this section of line.

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More Engineering Works for Supertram

Posted on Saturday 26 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

The ongoing programme of works to replace track on the Stagecoach Supertram network
will continue over the forthcoming Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend with the City Hall area being the latest to be worked on. The work here will take place on Sunday 3rd and Monday 4th June with a replacement bus service in operation on both these days and a Sunday timetable.

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More problems for Metrolink

Posted on Saturday 26 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

Unfortunately the past week has seen more delays on Manchester Metrolink with the Eccles, Bury and Altrincham lines all seeing problems at some point with not only the
usual tram failures to blame but also overhead line failures.

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Residents lose latest challenge over tramway crossing closure but vow to carry on

Posted on Saturday 26 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

The bid for a judicial review over the decision to close the Lauderdale Avenue crossing between Little Bispham and Cleveleys on the Blackpool Tramway has been thrown out by the Court with the applicant even being given £2,000 costs for bringing the action. In making the decision the Judge said that the closure had been subjected to sufficient scrutiny and that there was no case no answer. Despite this latest setback local residents have vowed to carry on their fight to get the crossing reopened.

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Event Preview: Launch of Blackpool Boat 236 at Crich Tramway Village

Posted on Saturday 26 May 2012 by Gareth Prior

Event: Launch of Blackpool Boat 236

Where: Crich Tramway Village

When: Sunday 3rd June 2012

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