Trivia: Where modern tramways in the UK follow alignments from previous tramway networks.

Omnidekkalover · 11 Aug 2026

Having looked at the Sheffield Supertram to both Malin Bridge and Middlewood and old maps of Sheffield Corporation Tramways, I would say that a fair bit of the leg to the Hillsborough area on the Supertram follows old Corporation Tramways alignments.

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etr221 · 11 Aug 2026

For Tramlink, not very much, just a couple of bits in central Croydon are more or less where the old tramways ran: along George Street, and a short bit in Lower Church Street, then Tamworth Road and Station Road.

Mcr Warrior · 11 Aug 2026

In Manchester City centre, the current day Metrolink tram system looks to partly follow the alignment of old tram lines (1920s era) along Mosley Street, Market Street, Aytoun Street, Princess Street, Cross Street, Corporation Street and High Street. Undoubtedly several others too. Outwith the City Centre, probably various lengths along Ashton New Road (and Eccles New Road) as well.

edwin_m · 11 Aug 2026

In Nottingham it looks to be just Market Street in the centre plus a section of Radford Road.

philthetube · 13 Aug 2026

Does Blackpool count?

Mcr Warrior · 13 Aug 2026

philthetube said:
Does Blackpool count?

Good question! Maybe the short section between North Pier and (Blackpool) North station, which re-opened a couple of years ago.

The exile · 13 Aug 2026

Edinburgh: Haymarket to the Foot of Leith Walk, though I’m not sure about the dog-leg through St Andrew Square. That is therefore two former Corporation Tramways.

gg1 · 13 Aug 2026

For the West Midlands Metro, the street running section from just north of Priestfield to Wolverhampton bus station, the Castle Hill section of the Dudley line and Albert Street to Millenium point in Brum.

Welly · 13 Aug 2026

Omnidekkalover said:
Having looked at the Sheffield Supertram to both Malin Bridge and Middlewood and old maps of Sheffield Corporation Tramways, I would say that a fair bit of the leg to the Hillsborough area on the Supertram follows old Corporation Tramways alignments.

I remember when I was at Sheffield Uni back in 1993, seeing old tram rails being lifted on West Street in preparation for the Supertram construction.

DelphDonkey · 14 Aug 2026

Mcr Warrior said:
In Manchester City centre, the current day Metrolink tram system looks to partly follow the alignment of old tram lines (1920s era) along Mosley Street, Market Street, Aytoun Street, Princess Street, Cross Street, Corporation Street and High Street. Undoubtedly several others too. Outwith the City Centre, probably various lengths along Ashton New Road (and Eccles New Road) as well.

Also Union Street in Oldham, and Drake Street in Rochdale. Setting the Metro and Historic Tramways layers on https://www.railmaponline.com/uk-and-irish-railways.html will show all such correspondences.

Lemmy282 · 14 Aug 2026

Omnidekkalover said:
Having looked at the Sheffield Supertram to both Malin Bridge and Middlewood and old maps of Sheffield Corporation Tramways, I would say that a fair bit of the leg to the Hillsborough area on the Supertram follows old all the Corporation Tramways alignments.

All the routes from the bottom of Netherthorpe Road follow the old routes to Middlewood and Malin Bridge. From the inner ring road at University trams running along Glossop Road, West Street, Church Street, High Street, Fitzalan Square and Commercial Street follow the original routes. On City Road trams run along the original route between Spring Lane and Manor Top.
Quite a lot of the old rails had to be removed during construction of Supertram, including places where the new system crossed the old, for instance where the Meadowhall route crossed Staniforth Road.
Spent several years working on that project, must try to find my photos of construction works.

Welly · 15 Aug 2026

Lemmy282 said:
Spent several years working on that project, must try to find my photos of construction works.

Yes please!

Rescars · 15 Aug 2026

etr221 said:
For Tramlink, not very much, just a couple of bits in central Croydon are more or less where the old tramways ran: along George Street, and a short bit in Lower Church Street, then Tamworth Road and Station Road.

Depends a bit on how you define a tramway. Tramlink does a pretty good job in utilising parts of the route of the Surrey Iron Railway, which despite its name was a plateway.

Magrar · 15 Aug 2026

Well it would be fun at least to see a modern tram try and turn on an old tram terminus alignment (many of which survived into the trolleybus and motorbus era as useful turning circles, albeit alas many no longer even served).

Taunton · 19 Aug 2026

In Manchester when the tracks were laid in Mosley Street the old tram tracks were dug up from underneath the asphalt, and looked a right nuisance to the Metrolink project.

On the Eccles line, where Hessel Street meets the main Eccles New Road, the old tracks are still in the cobbled side street from when the Salford tram depot there was abandoned in 1947, they have been left there ever since. There's a gap of about 10 metres between old and modern tracks, here:

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Sir Felix Pole · 19 Aug 2026

Mauldeth Road West in Chorlton, Manchester is a variation on the theme - it was laid out in the 1920's for trams, but never received the tracks due to the policy change in favour of motor buses. It finally received them, however, 75 years later as part of Metrolink's route to the Airport!

Trivia: Where modern tramways in the UK follow alignments from previous tramway networks.

Omnidekkalover

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etr221

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Mcr Warrior

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edwin_m

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philthetube

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Mcr Warrior

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The exile

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gg1

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Welly

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DelphDonkey

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Lemmy282

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Welly

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Rescars

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Magrar

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Taunton

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