Blackpool Tourists

[Ivo]

Source (from Bombardier)

Under 3M users per year, 75% of whom are tourists. Says it all really.

I have to say, looking carefully at the schematics, anyone from Nottingham would be forgiven for thinking Blackpool had copied them!

 

[BestWestern]

Source (from Bombardier)

Under 3M users per year, 75% of whom are tourists. Says it all really.

I have to say, looking carefully at the schematics, anyone from Nottingham would be forgiven for thinking Blackpool had copied them!

Well, I guess in a sad way Blackpool has pretty much copied everywhere really, dumping our last original street tramway to jump on the 'Metro' bandwagon :roll:

As I said before, I struggle to understand the failure of anybody to realise the attraction of it in it's previous form. With a few sensible tweaks it would have been easy to find a 'best of both worlds' outcome, at a substantially lower cost, providing a sustainable transport solution whilst offering something different and with a bit of proud heritage

 

[umontu]

Has anyone used the current open section since it reopened?

As I said on the Tram line reopening post (in the metro forum) the 'stations' as you go further north seem to change designs, indeed the Fleetwood's street stops look more like Metrolink's stations.
Can't imagine that the Fleetwood end will feel much difference if I'm honest. It wasn't an area of tourist like Blackpool.

 

[Whistler40145]

I live on the outskirts of Blackpool near to Stanley Park, this area is quite nice.

I don't like putting down my hometown, but I am embarrassed to say I come from Blackpool.

It doesn't help these days with Hen & Stag Parties, frankly it lowers the tone.

I hope the Promenade & New Trams will enhance it's image.

As for Birley Street, what a waste of Ratepayers & Council Taxpayers money that the monstrosity Arches with lights on are. The Fire Service cannot access this street, nobody thought about clearances for a Fire Engine with a platform.

I am glad I stay in at night as I can't think of anything worse than the sight of drunken girls etc lowering the tone!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I live on the outskirts of Blackpool near to Stanley Park, this area is quite nice.

I don't like putting down my hometown, but I am embarrassed to say I come from Blackpool.

It doesn't help these days with Hen & Stag Parties, frankly it lowers the tone.

I hope the Promenade & New Trams will enhance it's image.

As for Birley Street, what a waste of Ratepayers & Council Taxpayers money that the monstrosity Arches with lights on are. The Fire Service cannot access this street, nobody thought about clearances for a Fire Engine with a platform.

I am glad I stay in at night as I can't think of anything worse than the sight of drunken girls etc lowering the tone!

Do you think that Newquay, being a similar resort(but with cleaner seas), looked to Blackpool in the 1980's to then grant planning permission for their town centre to turn most of the quite varied retail properties into the night-club type late opening establishments that you try to walk past at your peril on Friday and Salturday nights. These are not "season based"...they happen all the year around and attract from a large catchment area. Like Blackpool, Newquay has many attractive areas away from the sea front, but within the town's geographical area, including a National Trust property at Trerice.

I see that you live near to Stanley Park. It is a very nice area...I have relatives who also live near there. The trouble is that people tend to think of Blackpool as only being the core-base along the sea front. It is up to Fylde to market itself to show what the Fylde region a a whole has to offer for business, residential and cultural uses. It has an airport that could market fast routes to many places. IT IS NOT ALL ABOUT TOURISM....as long as that idea persists, then the best will not be achieved from the Fylde area.
With regard to the tramway discission on this thread, the tramway serves a very long area and not just the Blackpool sea-front 3-mile area. Good local transport links are always stated as part of the business and residential strategic planning for most areas. A modern tram system should be viewed that that light.

We all want to see the Fylde region make the most of the assets that it can offer. Let us not put obstacles in the way of any regeneration of this area.

 

[BestWestern]

Do you think that Newquay, being a similar resort(but with cleaner seas), looked to Blackpool in the 1980's to then grant planning permission for their town centre to turn most of the quite varied retail properties into the night-club type late opening establishments that you try to walk past at your peril on Friday and Salturday nights. These are not "season based"...they happen all the year around and attract from a large catchment area. Like Blackpool, Newquay has many attractive areas away from the sea front, but within the town's geographical area, including a National Trust property at Trerice.

It is up to Fylde to market itself to show what the Fylde region a a whole has to offer for business, residential and cultural uses. It has an airport that could market fast routes to many places. IT IS NOT ALL ABOUT TOURISM....as long as that idea persists, then the best will not be achieved from the Fylde area.

In the case of Blackpool, being Britain's most popular holiday destination, a very large part of things IS all about tourism. Take a look at Blackpool itself. Huge swathes of the town are given over to the hotel market. The seafront bustles with hotels, tourist-orientated shops and arcades, and fast food outlets (not one of the town's more pleasing attributes). Three piers, the Tower at one end of the prom and the Pleasure Beach (often quoted as Britain's most popular attraction in recent times) at the other. Blackpool's economy revolves almost entirely around it's status as a holiday town, to suggest otherwise is just plain silly. Without this, it would simply be another failing, depressed former seaside resort, as are so many places dotted around the UK. The current regeneration would be highly unlikely if this was just another bleak unknown town.

Indeed there are some very nice areas of the town away from the seafront, and Stanley Park is one of the nicest parks I know of anywhere. But it still sees much patronage from the holidaymakers; think of the zoo for example. Blackpool's 'culture' is perhaps limited owing to the town's development as a seaside resort for visitors to enjoy; this limits somewhat the extent of the town's own history. It is a big shame that the political parties abandoned Blackpool as their traditional stamping ground, in favour of perhpas more 'trendy' locations like Bournemouth, but hopefully the current investment might see that particular blow undone.

Blackpool remains a beacon of popularity in the northwest of the country, and whilst an image overhaul is certainly due, it would be wrong to ignore the massive role that the tourist industry has played, and continues to play, in the livelihood of this part of the UK.

 

[WestCoast]

I live on the outskirts of Blackpool near to Stanley Park, this area is quite nice.

When you mention Blackpool, people seem to automatically think of "bad" areas, and quite frankly that is just annoying. It's like any town, it's got good and bad parts, and to be honest I think Preston's bad areas are just as dingy as equivalents in Blackpool.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Indeed there are some very nice areas of the town away from the seafront, and Stanley Park is one of the nicest parks I know of anywhere. But it still sees much patronage from the holidaymakers; think of the zoo for example. Blackpool's 'culture' is perhaps limited owing to the town's development as a seaside resort for visitors to enjoy; this limits somewhat the extent of the town's own history.

The zoo and indeed Stanley Park are indeed visited by tourists, but you won't see any coverage of the park when they show pictures of Blackpool on the TV. Plus, you'll have to look fairly deep into publicity before it is even mentioned.

I noticed Blackpool Transport have stopped using open top city sightseeing buses on the route out to Marton Mere - not a good decision in my opinion.

 

[yorksrob]

It's bad enough that people still want to keep the old roof at Manchester Victoria rather than the proposed new one saying "it does not sympathically match the Victorian station".

If they reglazed it and gave the metalwork a lick of paint every now and again, the existing roof would probably be fine. Why do we have this obsession with tearing everything down all of the time !

 

[ANorthernGuard]

If they reglazed it and gave the metalwork a lick of paint every now and again, the existing roof would probably be fine. Why do we have this obsession with tearing everything down all of the time !

to be honest Vic needs a fresh start, yes it still has fantastic architecture, but the cost of restoring the roof would certainly be more expensive then giving the station a new modern roof while retaining the original architecture of the buildings that survive, stations need to move on and Victoria certainly needs a fresh start.

 

[yorksrob]

to be honest Vic needs a fresh start, yes it still has fantastic architecture, but the cost of restoring the roof would certainly be more expensive then giving the station a new modern roof while retaining the original architecture of the buildings that survive, stations need to move on and Victoria certainly needs a fresh start.

Has anyone ever got a quote ?

I say that because it appears to be structurally sound and I can think of quite a few much larger station roofs that have been done up recently, such as Brighton, Hull, Manchester Pic etc.

Yes Victoria needs a fresh start, but I would say that providing a decent range of facilities for the passengers would be of primary importance.

 

[Scotrail84]

I'm a Victoria guard, and I see this line getting worse every day, and it's nothing to do with the cheap supermarkets but the Trans Pennine Rail Ale trail. Ask any Vic guard which line is the worst at the moment at weekends, and 99.9% of my fellow colleagues will name the huddersfield line.

Out of sheer interest what lines do Vic Guards cover? Im a Guard myself up in Bonnie Scotland.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Has anyone ever got a quote ?

I say that because it appears to be structurally sound and I can think of quite a few much larger station roofs that have been done up recently, such as Brighton, Hull, Manchester Pic etc.

Yes Victoria needs a fresh start, but I would say that providing a decent range of facilities for the passengers would be of primary importance.

as a country we always seem stuck in the past, myself personally I love railway history the buildings etc. has always held a fascination for me since I was a kid, however with the ugly MEN arena taking over the majority of the old Vic and whats left falling into rack and ruin, Notwork Rail have a chance to put Vic on the Map, just redoing the rooof may look pleasing to the eye, but maybe (just maybe) a new angle is needed, I may be proved wrong I'm not a Vic Guard but sometimes a change of plan can be good (and lets hope so)

 

[175001]

Out of sheer interest what lines do Vic Guards cover? Im a Guard myself up in Bonnie Scotland.

We have a large route card here

We sign :-

Huddersfield
Wigan via Bolton
Wigan via Atherton
Southport
Kirkby
Blackpool North
Clitheroe via Blackburn
Liverpool via Chat Moss
Manchester Airport
Hazel Grove
Leeds via Bradford
Leeds via Brighouse
Wigan to Liverpool
Wigan to Preston

Traction we sign include 142,144,150/1,150/2,153, 155, 156, 158 and link 4 and 5 sign 180's

Great depot too

 

[yorksrob]

as a country we always seem stuck in the past, myself personally I love railway history the buildings etc. has always held a fascination for me since I was a kid, however with the ugly MEN arena taking over the majority of the old Vic and whats left falling into rack and ruin, Notwork Rail have a chance to put Vic on the Map, just redoing the rooof may look pleasing to the eye, but maybe (just maybe) a new angle is needed, I may be proved wrong I'm not a Vic Guard but sometimes a change of plan can be good (and lets hope so)

We'll have to profoundly disagree on that one I think.

There are plenty of ugly stations around that could do with starting again. Leeds was one until recently, and they did a good job with that.

Manchester Vic isn't. If redoing the roof is pleasing to the eye then do it, because pleasing to the eye is very good for railway stations, along with decent facilities. Save the new angle for somewhere that needs it.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

as a country we always seem stuck in the past, myself personally I love railway history the buildings etc. has always held a fascination for me since I was a kid, however with the ugly MEN arena taking over the majority of the old Vic and whats left falling into rack and ruin, Notwork Rail have a chance to put Vic on the Map, just redoing the rooof may look pleasing to the eye, but maybe (just maybe) a new angle is needed, I may be proved wrong I'm not a Vic Guard but sometimes a change of plan can be good (and lets hope so)

This is the point that anyone wanting Manchester to have two modern rail stations that will soon be served by the Ordsall Chord services will hope comes to fruition. How many times do I have to say that this is 2011, with 2020 and 2030 coming soon?

The trouble with some people is that they have been used to dereliction in this part of the Manchester rail network, that they have come to accept it as the norm. If they had a roof on their houses that was in such a bad state that the roof at Manchester Victoria has ( coupled with the IRA bomb problems caused in the blast), would they get a handyman to fix it as best as he (or her) could... Or would they realise that for future long term use, the cost of a new roof would be totally cost effective?.

Q. E. D.

 

[yorksrob]

This is the point that anyone wanting Manchester to have two modern rail stations that will soon be served by the Ordsall Chord services will hope comes to fruition. How many times do I have to say that this is 2011, with 2020 and 2030 coming soon?

The trouble with some people is that they have been used to dereliction in this part of the Manchester rail network, that they have come to accept it as the norm. If they had a roof on their houses that was in such a bad state that the roof at Manchester Victoria has ( coupled with the IRA bomb problems caused in the blast), would they get a handyman to fix it as best as he (or her) could... Or would they realise that for future long term use, the cost of a new roof would be totally cost effective?.

Q. E. D.

It depends. Is the structure that badly damaged, or is the problem cosmetic.

 

[Scotrail84]

We have a large route card here

We sign :-

Huddersfield
Wigan via Bolton
Wigan via Atherton
Southport
Kirkby
Blackpool North
Clitheroe via Blackburn
Liverpool via Chat Moss
Manchester Airport
Hazel Grove
Leeds via Bradford
Leeds via Brighouse
Wigan to Liverpool
Wigan to Preston

Traction we sign include 142,144,150/1,150/2,153, 155, 156, 158 and link 4 and 5 sign 180's

Great depot too

Well that is a surprise as i think VIC tends to be overshadowed by PIC. Thats a large amount of routes and traction lad. I think maybe a transfer is on the cards


From Edinburgh we sign:
North Berwick
Dunblane via Stirling
Newcraighall
Dunbar
Aberdeen via Dundee
Perth via Ladybank
Perth via Gleneagles
Glasgow Qst via Falkirk High
Glasgow Qst via Cumbernauld
Glasgow Qst to Dunblane
Glasgow Central via Shotts and Bellshill
Glasgow Central via Carstairs (lasped do not covered for a few years)
Winchburgh/Dalmeny curve (diversionary)

Traction includes 156,158,170,322 Class 67's and MK2 coaching stock (for our peak time fife circles). Also 380 Guards training starting shortly

Our Link 1 Guards do the sleepers to/from Aberdeen using 67's and a mix of MK2andMK3 stock. We only have 3 links. 3 being lowest 1 being top. About 108 Guards here. Good depot too.

 

[175001]

That's what I like about Vic, the variation we have! 7 links each with 18 guards in them!

Edinburgh sounds like a cracking depot too!

 

[Scotrail84]

That's what I like about Vic, the variation we have! 7 links each with 18 guards in them!

Edinburgh sounds like a cracking depot too!

VIC is a bigger depot than i thought, is it better than PIC (no bias allowed). There are roughly 38 in each link the the wav. We all do the same other than the sleepers (Link1). I forgot to mention fife circles and local stoppers to Dundee too. Its a good depot with plenty of work. Sadly we just lost the Bathgate line to DOO in December . Not much chance of DOO at Vic .

I take it the work is spread throughout the links then? ie bottom link wont do as much routes or traction? Or is it all the same?

 

[175001]

VIC is a bigger depot than i thought, is it better than PIC (no bias allowed). There are roughly 38 in each link the the wav. We all do the same other than the sleepers (Link1). I forgot to mention fife circles and local stoppers to Dundee too. Its a good depot with plenty of work. Sadly we just lost the Bathgate line to DOO in December . Not much chance of DOO at Vic .

I take it the work is spread throughout the links then? ie bottom link wont do as much routes or traction? Or is it all the same?

Course Vic is better than Pic, there's no argument

I'm in Link 7 (only been on 18 months), and I sign all traction and routes except the 180's and Stockport-Hazel Grove. Other than that, I can do everything else.

We'll have the 319's in a few years too!

 

[Scotrail84]

Course Vic is better than Pic, there's no argument

I'm in Link 7 (only been on 18 months), and I sign all traction and routes except the 180's and Stockport-Hazel Grove. Other than that, I can do everything else.

We'll have the 319's in a few years too!

Im not familiar with 319s. It takes us on average 10 years to get to link 1. Could be longer,just depends on natural wastage. Im in Link 2 been in 6 years so not doing too bad. Is it a quick progression up your link.

Would it not be better to make 3 big links of 42? and maybe the top link does 180s and Stockport - Hazel Grove aswell as everything else and the other 2 links does everying else but the 180s and stockport. Or is there not enough work to spread throughout the links? Strange set up as all our depots are 2 or 3 large links.

 

[175001]

Some have been here for years and still only up to link 5!

I'm quite happy as it is, and I don't think the LDC will change anything anytime soon.

 

[Scotrail84]

Some have been here for years and still only up to link 5!

I'm quite happy as it is, and I don't think the LDC will change anything anytime soon.

Dont get me wrong im not suggesting your link structure is wrong or your links should be altered . Im LDC myself and we are always getting grief about job being to long and links being crap! We all have to do them.

Sounds like a good depot, if it was a first group company id be putting in for a transfer down there. Plus im a Man City fan too,so would be handy for games

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It depends. Is the structure that badly damaged, or is the problem cosmetic.

I think that if you want to really consider that part of the trainshed roof at Manchester Victoria, you would really have had to go back to the days when it covered terminal platforms 1 to 10 and the length of the roof that extended towards the rail over-bridge on Cheetham Hill Road, when the total roof was in its entirety.

If the total roof as constructed was still in situ, comparisons with the refurbished roof over the train shed would be valid. On this, we both agree.
But the cut back residual part of what was a much larger roof at Manchester Victoria is in no way comparable to its former glory. You cannot compare a whole area new roof to a truncated part of what admitedly was once quite a remarkable structure.

I cannot put my case any better than what I have tried to do so far and I can only hope that the comparisons that I have made in the paragraph above
convey the reasoning behind my suppositions.

Now do you understand the points that I was trying to make in my posts earlier in this thread.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Course Vic is better than Pic, there's no argument

I'm in Link 7 (only been on 18 months), and I sign all traction and routes except the 180's and Stockport-Hazel Grove. Other than that, I can do everything else.

We'll have the 319's in a few years too!

Vic better than Picc!!!!!!!! NEVER lol

Vic will always be the poorer brother lol

 

[175001]

Haha. Fixed rest days at Vic ends any argument

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Vic = Dodgy McD's a hot dog stand and (wait for it) a shop!

Picc = practically a mini shopping mall

Picc 1 Vic 0


Bring it on lol

 

[175001]

With Vic in the city and Pic in Longsight, we can just walk to the shops Hahaha. This thread getting a bit off topic now!

 

[ANorthernGuard]

With Vic in the city and Pic in Longsight, we can just walk to the shops Hahaha. This thread getting a bit off topic now!

it went off topic about 4 pages ago lol

anyway we are more Ardwick then longs***e lol

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Vic = Dodgy McD's a hot dog stand and (wait for it) a shop!

Picc = practically a mini shopping mall

Picc 1 Vic 0


Bring it on lol

Piccadilly had these sense to put in a mezzanine floor which obviously boosted the number of reail unit space available, which all seem doing a roaring trade.

I agree that the existing shopping facilities at Manchester Victoria are somewhat akin to what you would expect in the former East Germany in a John Le Carre novel.

When disembarking from trains or trams in the platforms 1 and 2 and the Metrolink, you look up and all you see if a tiled cliff-face with windows, the two salmonella dispensers and the W.H.Smith log cabin that I am sure featured in many early "Western" films. Get a decent firm of architects in to see what really could be done to bring in shopping facilities using the old railway offices (move all existing railway office facilities to an area offering the staff there a decent working environment). For those who need an example of what could be done, look at the former Corn Exchange and the really good examples of high grade shops that moved in there after the upgrading work was completed. But don't take the wife...your wallet and credit card need a damn good refill first!!!