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Blackpool | Tram System | U/C

388K views 1K replies 127 participants last post by  Johnny de Rivative 
#1 ·
I thought it was time Blackpool Trams had a thread.

Currently the 12 mile Tram line is closed for the first time in it's 120 year history whilst the track is relaid.

It's a massive job and is due to be completed by Easter, the new track will be able to carry the planned introduction (when the government eventually coughs up the cash) of the new Light Rail Low Floor Trams as seen in cities like Nottingham etc.

Apart from the new Trams, the other long term plan is to build an extension to Blackpool North Train station as part of the Talbot Gateway Project: http://www.reblackpool.com/reblackpool/pages/DMBlogsPage.aspx?PageID=503

Passanger wise, the Blackpool Tram system carries around 6.5 million people a year and is an essential form of transport between North Shore and South Shore and Blackpool and Cleverleys and Fleetwood.

I took some photo's last week of the current work and I will be amazed if they can complete the work and have the line open by Easter. For as hard as they are working and they are working really hard in some terrible conditions, the trackbeds are flooding before they can relay the concrete support base:

This picture is at Central Pier:



This picture is at Bispham and really shows the flooding, it's like a bomb has gone of:



no it's not a canal, it's a trambed somewhere under there:



Here is Bispham station:



and here is an engineer trying to pump the water out:



Despite of the rain, progress was being made, here is the scene out side Cliffs Hotel on the North Shore on Sunday:



and by Wednesday, most of the track was in position to be laid:



I'll add more info and pictures of Blackpool's tram network over the months to come.

One of the reasons I'm moving to Blackpool is because of the Tram system there, it's the Daddy of all tram systems.
 
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#694 ·
#696 ·
Following last week’s vote, the next step is to make an application to the Secretary of State to authorise the work before the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership hopefully gives final funding approval.

Construction would then start at the beginning of 2018 and take up to 16 months with services to North Station commencing by April 2019.



Read more: http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/n...on-or-a-waste-of-cash-1-7995550#ixzz4DRGWSXIj
 
#702 ·
Thanks mate, it was great to meet you too.

Yes I have a bumper update for everyone on the tram extension and lots of Blackpool projects. I've been run of my feet this year so have had no time to do any updates but I've got a week off at Christmas so will be doing a big update on all things Blackpool and the various projects we are working on :)
 
#706 ·
Now it's not just the the tram side of things that is about to change the face of this part of Blackpool, it's what's happening on the railway side as well which is pretty exciting.

Work starts in January on the electrification of the Preston to Blackpool North line with it being ready by Easter 2018. The tram extension and the electrification of the line and additional services we will see in time to more cities will have some big impacts on the Blackpool economy:

 
#707 ·
Electrification is supposed to be done by 2018.

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...nd-northern-to-develop-electro-diesel-mu.html

If I were involved in Blackpool stuff, I would start lobbying to make sure of that as I wonder if priorities might be being picked at in Network Rail with regards to what can/can't be done around the country in various timeframes or even at all.

Liverpool also wouldn't be best pleased about this if there is any delay or doubt, so if there is any doubt or question they should make contact with Merseytravel, Chambers of Commerce etc, to arrange combined lobbying.
 
#708 ·
Great thinking Centurio, we miss that direct link to Liverpool. I will speak to the powers that be in Blackpool and ask them about joining forces with the Chambers of Commerce, Merseytravel and the Council in Liverpool to create a bit noise around it, not just on this either, it would be great to see the two "pool's" working closely together on projects in general.
 
#711 ·
Good spot, I'll mention it to the Project Team :)

Beat me to it :)

I'm currently researching my next title; a Liverpool & Manchester railway atlas. It actually extends to Fleetwood in the north, and I'm currently working on Blackpool.

Where I'm really struggling is with the history of Blackpool tram stops, i.e. dates of opening / closure. On old Ordnance survey maps some are marked as 'stations', but prior to the modernisation and introduction of supertrams there were no platforms and I'm guessing many stops were no more than a sign on a post.

I have access to all opening / closing dates of UK railway stations, but I'm not aware of any publication with dates for tram stops. I've been in contact with probably the world's leading expert in Blackpool tram history, Brian Turner, and he's in essence politely advised me that it's a job too far to establish opening / closing dates of all of the tram stops.

One thing that I am a bit baffled by, and hopefully someone can assist, is the closure for modernisation 2009-2012… some sources say it was north of Ash St only, others say it was everything north of Bispham.

The dates that I have are: last trams 08/11/2009, re-opened 03/04/2012... Zim or anyone do you know which section of line was closed between these dates?
Hi Tubeman, I know the man who will know the answer to this, the old head of Customer Services at Blackpool Transport. I'll email him tonight and I'll report back as soon as he comes back to me.
 
#710 ·
Beat me to it :)

I'm currently researching my next title; a Liverpool & Manchester railway atlas. It actually extends to Fleetwood in the north, and I'm currently working on Blackpool.

Where I'm really struggling is with the history of Blackpool tram stops, i.e. dates of opening / closure. On old Ordnance survey maps some are marked as 'stations', but prior to the modernisation and introduction of supertrams there were no platforms and I'm guessing many stops were no more than a sign on a post.

I have access to all opening / closing dates of UK railway stations, but I'm not aware of any publication with dates for tram stops. I've been in contact with probably the world's leading expert in Blackpool tram history, Brian Turner, and he's in essence politely advised me that it's a job too far to establish opening / closing dates of all of the tram stops.

One thing that I am a bit baffled by, and hopefully someone can assist, is the closure for modernisation 2009-2012… some sources say it was north of Ash St only, others say it was everything north of Bispham.

The dates that I have are: last trams 08/11/2009, re-opened 03/04/2012... Zim or anyone do you know which section of line was closed between these dates?
 
#713 ·
Sorry everyone in advance for talking about Blackpool concessionary fares on a Manchester thread.
Tis the season to be indulgent. But from Monday it's back to "No more Mr Nice Guy" We both need to watch our steps -which in your case, bearing in mind Blackpool's impeccable heritage, go "one,two,three - one,two,three - one". :cheers:

Hey Presto - and you're back in the room.
 
#732 ·
I was up in Blackpool again recently, and saw evidence that the railway electrification had progressed since my previous visit, only 3 weeks previously. If you aren't sure what to look for, here are are some of the pilings for the gantrys waiting by the lineside:



and the stock yard just outside of Poulton station:



and what the pilings look like when they have been hammered into the ground:



They seem to have been installed between Preston and around Salwick. That may have changed - no trains were running over the weekend after I took these, because of engineering work.

Getting back to the trams, here is what will soon become the new tram terminus for the station:



and good riddance! In Cleveleys, I saw a new driver being shown the ropes in an old vehicle:



That's all for now, folks. See you soon!
 
#740 ·
It's funny you should say that, I walked past the Winter Gardens yesterday and saw the start of construction of the Conference Centre on Leopold Grove and that will be the first extension to the Winter Gardens since the 1930's. Definitely a time of positive change for Blackpool.

Once the Utilities works start on the extension, I'll get the pictures and post them up.

We just need that Transport and Works order now, fingers crossed it won't be too much longer.
 
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