Blackpool Tramway to stop running heritage trams

It's been announced today that all heritage trams are to stop running in Blackpool. End of an era, and really, the end of the first generation tramways, finally.

https://blackpoolheritage.com/herit...-mALWpgUnw0noCnD7g_aem_YLxJ1q-InHPJv6I-iym_Gw

John

 

The heritage trams were about the only reason to visit Blackpool.

 

Another nail in Blackpool's coffin. The lid is quite tight now. Even 30 years ago it was still fun there...very sad

 

As a local, it does not surprise me at all. I rarely saw a 'heritage tram tour' full of passengers. Mid-summer in good weather made the boat cars popular, otherwise they must have been taking massive losses. Be interesting to see if they retain some illuminated cars for next year.

 

The heritage trams provide value in two ways. One, through the farebox ...I can believ that income is not sufficient to justify their continued existance. The second is the charm and attractiveness they provide to the resort in general, That's much harder to measure and I do worry that swapping a charming if ramshackled heritage operation for a modern rapid transit solution (that I am not convinced Blackpool really warrants) wasn't a massive own goal. I retain much fondness for Blackpool. I was born just down the road in Lytham and I visted several times in my teens when my grandparents lived in St Annes. Blackpool was 'kiss me quick' brash but it was fun. I went back 5 years ago to see my great aunt and it was a sad, desolate place. It needs reasons for people to visit and it has just ditched another one. Frankly I think they'd be better selling the new trams (although they can't do that due to the conditions of the upgrade)

 

We were in Nottingham yesterday and sampled the trams, middle son & I went from Warhammer World to Toton Lane and back then we all went into the Christmas Market.

While its not quite the same as Blackpool I can see how the more sedate heritage vehicles might not fit in with more modern stock

 

A suspension may not be final.

 

A week in Blackpool a few months ago, saw only a single heritage tram running. It got our attention, but the vast majority of people along the sea front did not seem to pay any more attention to it than they did the modern vehicles. On a personal level, much as I like to see the heritage stuff running, there were days when a modern warm dry tram was very welcome (especially as we were staying in Lytham, but had a couple of days out in Fleetwood (so travelled the full length of the line)).

 

I think its suffering like most NW coastal towns, will be interesting to see what kind of effect the Eden Project North has on Morecambe, there are suggestions that its already perked things up but will that last, this could in turn give a steer possibly to what needs to be done in Blackpool.

Despite living in the area for the vast majority of the last 25+ years I've probably only been to Blackpool (for non work reasons) a handful of times and even then its mainly been football or cycle events which have drawn me there, walking through the town centre back from events late afternoon on a Saturday was pretty horrific to be honest.

 

Thankfully, it looks like the director of transport in Blackpool has given a reassurance that the suspension is indeed temporary, and that the development of Rigby Road depot into a museum is carrying on (the cost of which was widely speculated to be behind the suspension in the first place)

Let's hope that nothing comes up to make that reintroduction too much work.

https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/...re-of-heritage-trams-in-new-statement-4903723

John