Blackpool Trams News

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The Manchester Metrolink system is a very large tram system indeed and all trams stop at all tram stops.

 

[tram21]

I've got so used to the Nottingham trams always stopping at every stop at the times and places that I use them, I'm sure I'd forget to ring the bell if it was needed (in fact I have done this, just once, a long time ago).

I've been caught out quite a few times and been overcarried

 

[davehsug]

The Manchester Metrolink system is a very large tram system indeed and all trams stop at all tram stops.

Although more spaced out than they were pre-modernisation, the Blackpool system still has more stops, closer together than other UK systems.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Although more spaced out than they were pre-modernisation, the Blackpool system still has more stops, closer together than other UK systems.

Are you sure? The Manchester Metrolink system has 99 tram stops, how many tram stops do you count on the Blackpool Tramway?

 

[bluegoblin7]

Are you sure? The Manchester Metrolink system has 99 tram stops, how many tram stops do you count on the Blackpool Tramway?

Manchester has 99 stops across 103km of route where Blackpool has 41 stops across 18km of route. The comparison wasn't purely the number of stops: it was the correlation of stops to route kilometres.

On average, Manchester has a stop every 1.04km, whilst Blackpool has a stop every 0.43km - even by European standards this is significant density.

...I might go and look at other systems now, this is an interesting nugget.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Mar 2026 ==

System​	Stop Count​	Route Kilometrage​	Average Stop Distance​
Blackpool tramway	41	18km	0.43km
Manchester Metrolink	99	103km	1.04km
Sheffield Supertram	50	34.6km	0.69km
London Trams	39	28km	0.72km
Nottingham Express Transit	50	31.5km	0.63km
West Midlands Metro	33	24km	0.73km
Edinburgh Trams	15	14km	0.93km

...so Manchester (perhaps unsurprisingly) actually has the lowest density of stops to route kilometres.

With thanks to my purple maths stooge for doing the sums for me.

 

[G_A_C_C_C]

Can anyone tell me if 017 has been in service recently? I go to Blackpool/Fleetwood 3 or 4 times every year as my Dad lives in Preston....and I've never seen it. I've ridden all the other 17. I've not even seen it show up on the Tram tracker map...although tram 028 appears to be running currently....weird as they only go up to 018.
Many thanks for any help,
Graeme

 

[meld3]

Can anyone tell me if 017 has been in service recently? I go to Blackpool/Fleetwood 3 or 4 times every year as my Dad lives in Preston....and I've never seen it. I've ridden all the other 17. I've not even seen it show up on the Tram tracker map...although tram 028 appears to be running currently....weird as they only go up to 018.
Many thanks for any help,
Graeme

I need 17 too, but what is this Tram Tracker you mention? I know about the Croydon Tram Number ID webpage but not of any others. A link would be very gratefully received !!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I need 17 too, but what is this Tram Tracker you mention? I know about the Croydon Tram Number ID webpage but not of any others. A link would be very gratefully received !!

I may be wrong, but in the very early years of this website, did not a person on the website staff make a tram information compilation thread?

 

[507 001]

Manchester has 99 stops across 103km of route where Blackpool has 41 stops across 18km of route. The comparison wasn't purely the number of stops: it was the correlation of stops to route kilometres.

On average, Manchester has a stop every 1.04km, whilst Blackpool has a stop every 0.43km - even by European standards this is significant density.

...I might go and look at other systems now, this is an interesting nugget.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Mar 2026 ==

System​	Stop Count​	Route Kilometrage​	Average Stop Distance​
Blackpool tramway	41	18km	0.43km
Manchester Metrolink	99	103km	1.04km
Sheffield Supertram	50	34.6km	0.69km
London Trams	39	28km	0.72km
Nottingham Express Transit	50	31.5km	0.63km
West Midlands Metro	33	24km	0.73km
Edinburgh Trams	15	14km	0.93km

...so Manchester (perhaps unsurprisingly) actually has the lowest density of stops to route kilometres.

With thanks to my purple maths stooge for doing the sums for me.

You could argue that Metrolink doesn’t have any stops at all, they’re defined as stations in the rule book.

 

[Steddenm]

I need 17 too, but what is this Tram Tracker you mention? I know about the Croydon Tram Number ID webpage but not of any others. A link would be very gratefully received !!

I think it is on the Blackpool Transport app. If you tap on a moving tram it shows it's nunber.

 

[G_A_C_C_C]

I need 17 too, but what is this Tram Tracker you mention? I know about the Croydon Tram Number ID webpage but not of any others. A link would be very gratefully received !!

This lets you see the blackpool trams in real time, hover over the tram and it shows you the number

Tram - Fleetwood to Starr Gate

Timetable for Tram - Fleetwood to Starr Gate

www.blackpooltransport.com

 

[MikeWM]

Trams going on to a reduced service for a few days, to allow for essential maintenance. Apparently it's a 15 minute Starr Gate to Fleetwood, with a shuttle bus from North Pier to North Station.

Unfortunately it seems to have been more than a 'few days' as the 15 minutes frequency seems to have been maintained since this maintenance period in January, rather than the 10 minutes in the 'winter timetable' as originally announced and which ran in December.

Alternate trams go via North. I do rather question the use of bothering to build the extension to North at all if it is only going to have a 30-minute frequency in each direction. Much of the time it is quicker to walk down Talbot Road to get the next tram.

Presumably this will be uplifted soon for summer.

 

[Tramfan]

Unfortunately it seems to have been more than a 'few days' as the 15 minutes frequency seems to have been maintained since this maintenance period in January, rather than the 10 minutes in the 'winter timetable' as originally announced and which ran in December.

Alternate trams go via North. I do rather question the use of bothering to build the extension to North at all if it is only going to have a 30-minute frequency in each direction. Much of the time it is quicker to walk down Talbot Road to get the next tram.

Presumably this will be uplifted soon for summer.

There's still a number of trams out of use I believe, and there have been multiple instances of gaps in service due to staffing issues, even on the reduced frequency. A shame, as the increased frequency last year was a good improvement

 

[NCT]

Did a couple of rides on Blackpool trams today. It did feel like a buses-on-rails system rather than a rapid transit metro, as confirmed by bluegoblin7's very helpful stats.

The Blackpool - Fleetwood journey time felt on the long side. Halving the number of stops could plausibly bring journey time down to below 30 minutes.

The half-hourly frequency to North Station is disappointing. Given the double back only costs 5 minutes, it would make sense to send every tram to North Station and increase the number of trains that are a short change from a tram.

That the system employs conductors quite frankly baffles me.

 

[philthetube]

The conductor issue comes up frequently, the are needed if only to police the large number of wheelchairs using the service, the trams can carry a maximum of 10 as the doors are not used on the right hand side of the tram throughout the journey, thus providing extra spaces. Even this is not enough and wheelchairs often have to be refused travel, it would be chaos if no one was there to police them.

Agree about the North station, I suspect they wish the route had never been built.

 

[Turtle]

Unfortunately it seems to have been more than a 'few days' as the 15 minutes frequency seems to have been maintained since this maintenance period in January, rather than the 10 minutes in the 'winter timetable' as originally announced and which ran in December.

Alternate trams go via North. I do rather question the use of bothering to build the extension to North at all if it is only going to have a 30-minute frequency in each direction. Much of the time it is quicker to walk down Talbot Road to get the next tram.

Presumably this will be uplifted soon for summer.

 

[philthetube]

Blackpool trams currently suspended, presumably due to wind, It is the strongest I have known it in the 6 years I have lived here.

Very difficult to stand up outside and the road at Starr gate is covered in an inch of sand.

Shutdown probably due to sand on tracks but could be wire problems

2 trams currently sitting at North Pier, northbound, no idea what is going to happen there.

They really do need some way of informing intending passengers during disruption. Even the App has not been updated.

 

[Acathater]

2 trams currently sitting at North Pier, northbound, no idea what is going to happen there.

Can Blackpool trams be towed along the tramway by a recovery truck or similar?

 

[philthetube]

I don't know but I would imagine that driven back to Starr gate would be more likely there is a crossover at South Pier

 

[JModulo]

Bolton 66 now moved to Starr Gate.

 

[50002Superb]

I need 17 too, but what is this Tram Tracker you mention? I know about the Croydon Tram Number ID webpage but not of any others. A link would be very gratefully received !!

Do you have a link to the Croydon page please?

 

[meld3]

Do you have a link to the Croydon page please?

Live map of London Underground trains

Its actually for tube trains showing every tube train (yellow dots) moving with direction arrows unless stopped, BUT it also shows Trams and if you click on a yellow dot on the Croydon network, the first 4 digits of the Tram ID are the tram number.

 

[50002Superb]

Live map of London Underground trains

Its actually for tube trains showing every tube train (yellow dots) moving with direction arrows unless stopped, BUT it also shows Trams and if you click on a yellow dot on the Croydon network, the first 4 digits of the Tram ID are the tram number.

That is absolutely incredible, thank you!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Apr 2026 ==

This lets you see the blackpool trams in real time, hover over the tram and it shows you the number

Tram - Fleetwood to Starr Gate

Timetable for Tram - Fleetwood to Starr Gate

www.blackpooltransport.com

I tried this but couldn’t get it to work. Does it not work on iPhones or am I doing something wrong?

 

[Tramfan]

That is absolutely incredible, thank you!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Apr 2026 ==


I tried this but couldn’t get it to work. Does it not work on iPhones or am I doing something wrong?

I think the Blackpool Transport one only works on a PC, where you hover the mouse over the tram icons

 

[50002Superb]

I think the Blackpool Transport one only works on a PC, where you hover the mouse over the tram icons

That would explain it

 

[davehsug]

I think the Blackpool Transport one only works on a PC, where you hover the mouse over the tram icons

Yes I use the app a lot when I'm in Blackpool to see when a tram will be coming, but it doesn't show the tram number.

 

[EyeKay]

Can Blackpool trams be towed along the tramway by a recovery truck or similar?

Yes I believe the unimog (939) can be used. Bolton 66 was towed to Starr Gate by it. See
https://blackpooltram.blogspot.com/2026/04/bolton-66-out-on-promenade.html?m=1 in

 

[Towers]

Yes I believe the unimog (939) can be used. Bolton 66 was towed to Starr Gate by it. See
https://blackpooltram.blogspot.com/2026/04/bolton-66-out-on-promenade.html?m=1 in

Can 939 tow an Flexicity (or whatever they’re called!)? They’re a touch weightier than dear old 66 I would imagine!

 

[EyeKay]

Can 939 tow an Flexicity (or whatever they’re called!)? They’re a touch weightier than dear old 66 I would imagine!

I believe it can. I couldn’t find any pictures to prove it but unimogs are used for shunting trains in industrial sidings.

Hopefully someone will be along shortly to give a definitive answer.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

There's still a number of trams out of use I believe, and there have been multiple instances of gaps in service due to staffing issues, even on the reduced frequency. A shame, as the increased frequency last year was a good improvement

This is where Blackpool Transport could look at colleges within a 30 mile radius and get the next generation trained up in a guarrenteed job.

Did a couple of rides on Blackpool trams today. It did feel like a buses-on-rails system rather than a rapid transit metro, as confirmed by bluegoblin7's very helpful stats.

The Blackpool - Fleetwood journey time felt on the long side. Halving the number of stops could plausibly bring journey time down to below 30 minutes.

The half-hourly frequency to North Station is disappointing. Given the double back only costs 5 minutes, it would make sense to send every tram to North Station and increase the number of trains that are a short change from a tram.

That the system employs conductors quite frankly baffles me.

The South Yorkshire Supertram also employs conductors, I'd rather have a visible staff presence in the passenger area than having no staff at all.