In this weeks light rail news – A-Z of Consent message on NET Tram, services suspended again in the West Midlands, trams return to Edinburgh City centre stops, works announced in Sheffield and on Luas, and Seaton scoops visitor attraction award.
The impressive Deansgate headquarters of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce has been named as the venue for an eagerly anticipated light rail event in September.
UKTram is now inviting professionals from across the sector to take part in its next Light Rail Summit, which aims to build on the success of a similar event in Edinburgh last year.
Details of guest speakers at this year’s event – which takes place on September 15 with a theme of Building Better – will be announced over coming months, along with a packed agenda of ‘hot topics’ for discussion.
Further information, including booking details, are available by emailing lorraineGeorge@uktram.co.uk.
In other light rail news:
NET
Nottingham’s tram network is backing a new initiative that drives home a powerful message about protecting women and girls from sexual violence.
As part of a major campaign unveiled by Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry, the ‘A-Z of Consent’ message features across the full length of a tram and a double decker bus.
Part of a project spearheaded by the Commissioner and supported by a host of partners to increase the safety of women and girls in the city and reduce violence, the campaign has been developed by the Consent Coalition and aims to raise awareness of what sexual consent means. You can read the full story here.
West Midlands Metro
Detailed inspections of the bodywork cracks found on West Midland Metro’s older trams have identified that essential repairs are required. The manufacturer will need to replace body panels, which means services will be suspended for a number of weeks and more details can be found here.
Edinburgh Trams
Trams are set to return to St Andrew Square and Princes Street stops by the end of this month as work to connect the existing track to the Newhaven line nears completion.
Following the permanent closure of the York Place stop on February 10, services have been terminating, temporarily, at West End.
Since then, work to take down the tram stop in York Place has been progressing well, as has the complex installation of new infrastructure associated with the Trams to Newhaven project, as reported here.
Sheffield Supertram
The operator has announced details of its services over the Easter Holiday. On Good Friday 15 April and Saturday 16 April, a Saturday service will operate while on Easter Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday, a Sunday timetable will be in place.
To allow essential repairs to take place in the City Road/Spring Lane area, Blue and Purple route services will also be subject to alteration throughout the Easter weekend. The Blue route will operate between Malin Bridge and Sheffield Station only and there will be no service between Halfway and Sheffield Station and the Purple route will not operate. Further details can be found here.
Tyne & Wear Metro
A Metro bridge which serves one of the network’s busiest routes between Newcastle and North Tyneside is to be completely replaced this summer in a £3m project – creating more space for better bus links and road freight to North Shields Fish Quay.
The Tanners Bank bridge, which is located on the Metro line between Tynemouth and North Shields, is to be removed to allow an entirely new bridge to be constructed in its place. The full story can be found on the Nexus website here.
Luas
There will be no Red Line trams running between Blackhorse and Heuston Luas Stops this weekend. On March 26 and Sun 27, trams will run between Tallaght / Saggart and Blackhorse, and between Heuston and The Point only.
Trams will not run to Connolly Luas Stop for the duration of the works, so customers must use Busáras Luas Stop to access Connolly Train Station, a three-minute walk away, and further details can be found here.
Heritage
Seaton Tramway has scooped an Outstanding Visitor Attraction Award at the Annual Heritage Railway Association Awards, held in Birmingham last weekend.
The Tramway was up against Crich Tramway Museum, Bure Valley Railway & Isle of White Steam Railway and the accolade comes just weeks after the Tramway won Silver at the Devon Tourism Awards for Large Visitor Attraction and Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award. You can read more here.