In this week’s news from the light rail sector – track replacement for Manchester Metrolink, Sheffield Supertram trials dog travel, West Midlands Metro sponsors charity art project, special Blackpool Transport ticketing supports Restaurant Week, Dublin City Council Half Marathon and Luas schedule change, historic restoration at Whitley Bay Metro station.
UKTram
In a presentation at the Mainspring European Light Rail Congress in Malaga last
week, UKTram Technical Officer Dan Hill outlined ambitious proposals to bridge a
growing skills gap by highlighting the rewarding career options offered by Tramways
and similar transit systems. Read our update here.
Manchester Metrolink
Work to ensure tram journeys in Manchester city centre remain safe and reliable will continue next week, with Metrolink tracks replacing between Market Street and High Street/Church Street.
Works will take place from Tuesday, March 25th, until the end of service on Wednesday, April 23rd. During this period, trams will not operate via Market Street or Shudehill.
Trafford Centre services will run to Etihad Campus, and all Altrincham services will run to Bury. Other cross-city services will divert via Exchange Square. Passengers travelling across the city centre during these works can interchange at St Peter’s Square to reach Victoria Station by Metrolink; full details are available here.
West Midlands Metro
West Midlands Metro is backing a charity art project to bring a spectacular parade of bulls to Birmingham this summer.
Primary schools across the West Midlands are set to take part in the Bulls in the City Art Trail, which will see 40 vibrant, larger-than-life bull sculptures take over the city. Inspired by Birmingham’s iconic Bullring Bull, each sculpture will celebrate the city’s heritage while raising vital funds for Birmingham Hospice.
Young artists from schools in the region are invited to help design a bull. The winning artwork will be brought to life on a calf-sized sculpture, which will be gifted to the winner’s school along with a £250 cash prize. Plus, the budding artist and their classmates will enjoy an exclusive VIP trip to Metro’s Wednesbury depot. Read more about this creative initiative here.
Sheffield Supertram
Following a consultation, dogs can travel on the Sheffield Supertram network that asked the public whether four-legged friends should be allowed to travel on trams.  Over 10,600 people had their say in South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s consultation, with 75% in favour of a change in the rules.   Travellers can already take dogs on buses and trains. From Friday 21st March dogs can also travel on trams, with further information about the trial available here.
Blackpool Transport
Blackpool Transport is providing a welcome boost for local businesses with a new offer for anyone planning to eat out during the town’s first Restaurant Week.Â
Between 27th March and 3rd April, the Blackpool Transport ‘two for £10 group ticket’ on trams and buses will be halved to just £5 from 5.00pm – enabling residents and visitors to make the most of some of Blackpool’s best dining experiences.Â
Throughout the week, participating venues will also offer discounts on food and drink as part of a new initiative organised by Blackpool Town Centre and Tourism BID (Business Improvement Districts). Full details about the offers are available here.
Luas
To facilitate the Dublin City Council Half Marathon there will be temporary partial closures of Luas Red and Green Lines on Sunday 30th March.
From 7:00 to 9:30 there will be no Luas Green Line service between St. Stephen’s Green and Dominick. Services will return to normal from 10:00.
There will be no Luas Red Line service between Smithfield and The Point / Connolly between 7:00 and 9:30. Also, from 10:00 to 14:00, there will be no service between George’s Dock and The Point. Luas Red Line services will return to normal from 14:15. You can find full information about the closures here.
Tyne & Wear Metro
The Grade II listed canopy at Whitley Bay Metro Station has been restored to its former glory following a major two-year project.Â
Part of the Metro Asset Renewal Programme, the multi-million-pound project is a key development for Whitley Bay Metro station, which sees 1.2 million customer journeys per year and is a gateway into North Tyneside and its award-winning coastline.Â
Involving the installation of 1,296 new panes of glass and the strengthening and repainting of the steelwork along with a new public address system, lighting, and CCTV cameras, you can read more about the project here.
Extension Projects
The Birmingham Eastside Metro Extension project reached another significant milestone on 20th March by installing the switch and crossing infrastructure for its temporary terminus outside the Clayton Hotel.
It is one of the final track elements to be delivered in the current phase of work and will prepare the way for testing and commissioning of the extended tramway.
The complex operation saw the large and intricate switch and crossing unit carefully lowered into its final position, marking a major step forward in the delivery of the much-anticipated light rail extension. The technology installed allows for a temporary terminus to be operational and means passenger services to Moor Street Queensway and Albert Street can begin operating earlier, as works to link the scheme through HS2 Station, Meridan Street and to Digbeth High Street get underway in due course. Further details about the extension are available here.
Heritage
Crich Tramway Village has welcomed three more trams following their arrival from the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society (MTPS).Â
Birkenhead 20, Wallasey 78 and Liverpool 762 made the move from the Wirral Transport Museum, with the last tram arriving over the weekend of 22nd-23rd March.
Donated to the Tramway Museum Society by the MTPS, the three tramcars now call Crich their permanent home. The board of the MTPS made the difficult decision to relocate the trams because of uncertainty over the future of the Wirral Transport Museum and Heritage Tramway. For the full story, click here.
To be included in the next round-up or the Members News section of the UKTram website, send your press releases, events and career opportunities to news@uktram.org