Blackpool Heritage Tram Operations Suspended

[Ashley Hill]

If someone nicks a tram where are they going to drive it?

That reminds me of a Jethro joke.

 

[Towers]

Nothing new about them other than the wheels to aid moving them, gates are falling to bits.

Oh!

It worries me how insecure the premises are. There was talk of replacing the shed main doors once upon a time, let’s hope one day it might happen!

 

[Topmandog1]

Oh!

It worries me how insecure the premises are. There was talk of replacing the shed main doors once upon a time, let’s hope one day it might happen!

The plan was to turn half the tram shed into a musuem and cafe and the other half a open floor musuem kinda like railway musuem in York and yes to add new doors, but the roof issues destroyed all that

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jul 2026 ==

The video does add a little further confusion to the status of the main shed, which has been variously described as condemned and not condemned depending on who you speak to. The comment that permits are required to enter and staff must wear hard hats - as indeed they are - very much suggests that all is not well, however others have suggested that the shed itself is fine!

We know the roof is damaged and unsafe but it's not critical, it's more a insurance and liability issue if something were to fall it could lead to a demolition order and or court case or something

 

[Towers]

The plan was to turn half the tram shed into a musuem and cafe and the other half a open floor musuem kinda like railway musuem in York and yes to add new doors, but the roof issues destroyed all that

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jul 2026 ==


We know the roof is damaged and unsafe but it's not critical, it's more a insurance and liability issue if something were to fall it could lead to a demolition order and or court case or something

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jul 2026 ==


We know the roof is damaged and unsafe but it's not critical, it's more a insurance and liability issue if something were to fall it could lead to a demolition order and or court case or something

So what’s the plan now?

 

[Topmandog1]

So what’s the plan now?

To our knowledge absolutely nothing. The council claims they want to find a new location for tram town, possibly pop up locations, and for trams they stated they wanted to do summer trips but as previously discussed the issue with maintenance of the main fleet has put a stop to that, we are hoping they will do illuminations but who know, personally I didn't go last year because they wanted like £19 PP which is mad I got on the fylde tram society private tram instead for like £5

 

[Towers]

To our knowledge absolutely nothing. The council claims they want to find a new location for tram town, possibly pop up locations, and for trams they stated they wanted to do summer trips but as previously discussed the issue with maintenance of the main fleet has put a stop to that, we are hoping they will do illuminations but who know, personally I didn't go last year because they wanted like £19 PP which is mad I got on the fylde tram society private tram instead for like £5

To be fair, I don’t think twenty quid is that unreasonable in the grand scheme of things - the heritage operation cannot run on fresh air and so users will need to be prepared to help support it. Obviously it would need discounts for groups in order to stop a trip becoming unaffordable, but I often thought the tenner each that they used to charge was a bit on the cheap side!

 

[JModulo]

To be fair, I don’t think twenty quid is that unreasonable in the grand scheme of things - the heritage operation cannot run on fresh air and so users will need to be prepared to help support it. Obviously it would need discounts for groups in order to stop a trip becoming unaffordable, but I often thought the tenner each that they used to charge was a bit on the cheap side!

Bare in mind when you booked a tour you could also use said ticket all day on the LRT too on the day of the tour.

 

[Topmandog1]

Bare in mind when you booked a tour you could also use said ticket all day on the LRT too on the day of the tour.

yes and i didn't want a 24 hour ticket for the LRT, id rather pay less and not have it
and the old ticket for all day on the heritage trams was a better £20 (I think?) Value

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Aug 2026 ==

Trampower has been taken away from the Rigby Road Depot after the recent shunt

Link to facebook page

Facebook Video of it on lowloader outside tram shed gates entrance

 

[Towers]

Trampower has been taken away from the Rigby Road Depot after the recent shunt

Link to facebook page

Facebook Video of it on lowloader outside tram shed gates entrance

Never really a ‘Blackpool tram’, albeit a fairly long term resident in modern terms! One would presume it’ll go into storage elsewhere, for the time being at least?

 

[Acathater]

Never really a ‘Blackpool tram’, albeit a fairly long term resident in modern terms! One would presume it’ll go into storage elsewhere, for the time being at least?

Do Trampower still actually exist? If it's an orphan machine presumably it'll go for scrap

 

[cool110]

Do Trampower still actually exist?

Surprisingly yes, according to Companies House both the main company and the Preston one are still active and have filed up to date accounts

 

[Topmandog1]

Never really a ‘Blackpool tram’, albeit a fairly long term resident in modern terms! One would presume it’ll go into storage elsewhere, for the time being at least?

I've also heard it's to Liverpool then preston or something like that

 

[EYFanatic]

The wires won’t be live as there’s no powered movements. Past experience in Fleetwood suggest live wires don’t prevent theft.

One hopes the second sentence was not implying personal experience

 

[Topmandog1]

Seems they are taking down some of the tram wires at Rigby road

i mean they haven't been powered in like 4 years i imagine they outright don't work anymore and all need replacing

This man films it as he argues about the rights of public filming - link

 

[Towers]

Seems they are taking down some of the tram wires at Rigby road

i mean they haven't been powered in like 4 years i imagine they outright don't work anymore and all need replacing

This man films it as he argues about the rights of public filming - link

That’s rather concerning to see, I do hope replacement is the intention rather than anything else - do we know if the brackets have gone also?

 

[Leedsbusman]

That’s rather concerning to see, I do hope replacement is the intention rather than anything else - do we know if the brackets have gone also?

This is the Blundell Street siding wires attached to the fitting shop which is due to be demolished.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Just for confirmation, is the route via Princess Street now abandoned?

 

[Leedsbusman]

Just for confirmation, is the route via Princess Street now abandoned?

Yes it was breached at the Promenade end in 2013. A short section across Rigby Road into Blundell Street was kept for access to the works but this has now been lifted.

 

[Topmandog1]

This is the Blundell Street siding wires attached to the fitting shop which is due to be demolished.

if you check the video they are messing with the main wires too but that might be related to the Blundell street wires but also like i said they havent been switched on in years anyway so whats really the point, maybe they are going to demolish the old workshop building soon then

 

[Ashley Hill]

Yes it was breached at the Promenade end in 2013. A short section across Rigby Road into Blundell Street was kept for access to the works but this has now been lifted.

Thanks.

 

[Acathater]

Yes it was breached at the Promenade end in 2013. A short section across Rigby Road into Blundell Street was kept for access to the works but this has now been lifted.

So just to clarify....is there now any electrified link between the old depot and the current tram route?

 

[Leedsbusman]

So just to clarify....is there now any electrified link between the old depot and the current tram route?

Yes.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Aug 2026 ==

if you check the video they are messing with the main wires too but that might be related to the Blundell street wires but also like i said they havent been switched on in years anyway so whats really the point, maybe they are going to demolish the old workshop building soon then

You may have seen a different video from me but the one I’ve seen is removing the wire for the junction into Blundell Street from Hopton Road. The photo linked is on Blundell Street too.

 

[Topmandog1]

This has been posted
Although the source is unverified
So up to you what you believe
Link

 

[Towers]

This has been posted
Although the source is unverified
So up to you what you believe
Link

Sounds like wibble, that isn’t how any organisation releases statements - gossip from a tram crew taken as gospel, perhaps?

That being said, once again Blackpool Transport continuing to stick religiously to the ‘information vaccum’ method of non-communication does the whole situation no favours whatsoever.

 

[Topmandog1]

Sounds like wibble, that isn’t how any organisation releases statements - gossip from a tram crew taken as gospel, perhaps?

That being said, once again Blackpool Transport continuing to stick religiously to the ‘information vaccum’ method of non-communication does the whole situation no favours whatsoever.

Chris webb the mp for Blackpool south has posted this reply to Bispham station Facebook page 6 hours ago as of posting
Seems if they are doing illuminations it's not going to be during September

 

[Towers]

Chris webb the mp for Blackpool south has posted this reply to Bispham station Facebook page 6 hours ago as of posting
Seems if they are doing illuminations it's not going to be during September

A rare positive development!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I wonder if it's possible that Blackpool Transport are well aware that the forthcoming merged unitary authority might pose them a threat, and are thus trying to be as financially solid as possible to discourage the new authority from considering selling them off, particularly if the elected Councillors are more of a right wing persuasion? And thus not spending a fortune on the tramway is part of that, not least "nice to haves" like the old shed and the classic trams? It must surely be under threat as the people of Wyre and the Fylde aren't going to want to be subsidising the Blackpool tramway from their taxes if they never use it.

It's probably a bit less so than if it had been the Blackpool and Preston option though. Blackpool will have a lot of leverage in the new authority as the largest town.

 

[Topmandog1]

A rare positive development!

This has literally just been posted now... weirdly mentions a future for the rocket which hasn't seen use In like 25 years and would need a a full refurbishment or rebuild a re do of the electrics to ever see use

 

[Towers]

This has literally just been posted now... weirdly mentions a future for the rocket which hasn't seen use In like 25 years and would need a a full refurbishment or rebuild a re do of the electrics to ever see use

Hmm. “Other options” has the subtle ring of ‘not actually running trams’ about it. Rocket won’t be returning to service, they’re talking about static exhibits with that and the Western Train. Very council-esque; stick them on a plinth and forget about it, cost neutral… The Blackpool winter and state of today’s society would leave them very much at risk of harm, I would think.

It’s sad that axle repairs and welding are being quoted as barriers to getting cars into service, when Rigby Road would have had that sort of thing sorted as a matter of routine. Different times.

 

[Topmandog1]

Hmm. “Other options” has the subtle ring of ‘not actually running trams’ about it. Rocket won’t be returning to service, they’re talking about static exhibits with that and the Western Train. Very council-esque; stick them on a plinth and forget about it, cost neutral… The Blackpool winter and state of today’s society would leave them very much at risk of harm, I would think.

It’s sad that axle repairs and welding are being quoted as barriers to getting cars into service, when Rigby Road would have had that sort of thing sorted as a matter of routine. Different times.

Yeah I misread it, also western train can't be that broken it's going to be used as a static display, it's the newest heritage tram isn't it? I know people said it was uses for spare parts last year but it cant be that bad