Heritage Tramways
The 12 Heritage systems in the British Isles highlight the historical significance of our heritage tramways, they are pivotal in enriching our understanding of transport history and vital in sustaining tourism within our regions.
Birkenhead is the historic home of the first street tramway in Europe. Europe´s first tramway was established here on August 29th 1860, The system was later electrified and operated from 1901 as Birkenhead Corporation Tramways. Learn more
Volks Electric Railway
(VER) is a narrow gauge heritage railway that runs along the length of the seafront of the English seaside resort of Brighton. It was the first public electric railway in the world. It was opened on 4 August 1883 by Magnus Volk. Learn more
The Blackpool Tramway now has a fleet of modern low-floor second-generation trams that operate its main daily service. It has retained the best of the iconic original Heritage Tram fleet, with some vehicles over 80 years old that have been retained and restored. Learn more
The Manx Electric Railway holds to being the longest narrow gauge vintage railway in the British Isles. Regular public services started in September 1893. Over seventeen miles of line border the coastline between Douglas and Ramsey. Learn more
The unique Snaefell Mountain Railway, built in 1895, is located on the eastern coast of the Isle of Man. It runs from the town of Laxey to the summit of Snaefell at 2,034 ft (620m) above sea level. Learn more
The National Tramway Museum at Crich is located in the middle of scenic Derbyshire. Originally a limestone quarry, the period village was established in the late 1960s. Today a track runs one mile out into the rolling countryside and is operated by some of the vast selection of preserved trams at the museum. Learn more
The Great Orme Tramway is a cable-hauled 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge tramway in Llandudno – Wales. This is Britain’s only remaining cable operated street tramway and one of only three surviving in the world. Learn more
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In 1962, four local tramway enthusiasts rescued the body of an old Lowestoft tramcar, no. 14, from its use as a summerhouse at Gunton. From this grew the idea of forming a transport museum. Learn more
Seaton Tramway operates narrow gauge heritage trams between Seaton, Colyford and Colyton along a three-mile line in East Devon’s glorious Axe Valley. The trackbed is part of the former Seaton to Seaton Junction Branch line that was closed in 1966. Learn more
Beamish Museum operates a 1.5-mile electric tramway around the museum site, which serves as an attraction and is vital in moving around 450,000 visitors per annum from each defined area to the next. Learn more
Heaton Park Tramway
The Tramway opened in 1980 and is run by the Manchester Transport Museum Society. It currently has three electric trams running on a stretch of track dating back to the original Manchester Tramway, which used to operate into the park. Learn more
The tramway was the first operational tramway in Scotland for twenty-six years following the closure of the Glasgow Corporation Tramway. Learn more
The Black Country Living Museum is an open-air museum of rebuilt historic buildings located in Dudley. The tram fleet comprises 3 vehicles, 2 single-deck trams from 1920 and a 1909 double-deck open-topper from Wolverhampton. Learn more
