Fylde Coast Service Finally Common Sense

(mini blog)

There was much excitement in Blackpool back in June when a short stretch of tramway re-opened.

The opening of a 600 metre track extension connecting the current Promenade tramway with a new tram stop by Blackpool North train station was celebrated at a special event on Wednesday 12 June.

The first passengers to take the historic trip up Talbot Road won a local prize draw to become the first people to enjoy the journey to the train station since 1963.

The work involved a triangular junction with the existing coastal line (somewhat obscured by the green "grass" on the map below).

... brand new paving and track via a scissors crossover to the new stop.

Additionally a wide subway was built to get you across a busy road and into Blackpool North station.

As is often the way with modern mechanised building techniques, the project took an absolute age to build and cost an absolute fortune in the process!

And the Wilco store had to go!

But with the track in place, trams could now serve the station - eventually.

There was much rejoicing all round - except there wasn't. The public was less than enamoured with the timetable. Instead of a useful and memorable fifteen minute headway from Starr Gate to Fleetwood, half the service was diverted to the new station stop.

This was then publicised as three separate tram routes.

It meant that the even interval service was lost and passengers were unclear whether they were going via the station, to the station or straight on at the junction.

So the Council owned Blackpool Transport had another go!

In the morning peak that same split service applied ...

... namely a mess with some trams from Fleetwood going no further than Talbot Square, apparently.

During the main part of the day a 15 minute interval service apples with all trams going via the North station spur.

Then, in the evening, nothing goes via the new station station.

The Talbot Square situation was confusing. T3 trams are shown as terminating there ...

... but they can't do that; they must run to North station.

So still a mess but better during the day/

Then the Tram bosses had another jackpot idea. Why not run all trams via the North station at all times, then there would be no confusion. And furthermore, if they could speed up running time a bit nobody would be disadvantaged.

Clever eh?

So they did!

From the start of next month there will be a simple 15 minute service all the way and via the new bit all the day; hey, so they say!

Even better, apart from some variation at the start of the day, the service will run seven days a week.

Here are some pictures of trams on test but well before the new section opened. Part of the delay was that a new Holiday inn had to be completed which would involve he removal, for a while, of the tram overhead. An on-line video explains that the section to the station would be opening in 2023.

It didn't. It opened in June this year.

Here a tram on test turning into Talbot Square from the Starr Gate "main line".

Here a tram is leaving the new terminus and using the scissors crossover.

And a tram turning into where Wilco isn't to get it its new stop.

And here is the finished line, awaiting the completion of the Holiday Inn.

 Next Edinburgh blog : Friday 8th November