Blackpool’s first new tram line for 98 years

The new Blackpool tram line running along Talbot Road to North Station carried invited passengers for the first time (trams last served the station in 1963 on the Dickson Road line). 16 June sees a new timetable with trams operating three services: 

T1 Starr Gate ¬ Fleetwood; T2 Starr Gate – North Station; T3 Fleetwood ¬ North Station. 

 

Each services operates every 30 minutes on the base timetable, giving a 15-minute headway on the two sections coastal tram line (Starr Gate – Fleetwood) but only a through tram every 30 minutes. However Blackpool Transport routinely runs extras during the holiday season Easter-October. 

 

The new timetable requires 11 of the fleet of 18 modern low-floor trams, giving some flexibility if changes need to be made. 

 

Work on the line started in Spring 2018 and the cost of the 0.4-mile (600m) tramway is about £23.42M, with £16.4M coming from Transport for Lancashire (Lancashire Enterprise Partnership). 

 

Although the first trams ran along Talbot Rd in March 2022, the introduction of passenger service was heavily delayed by the need to build the new terminus, requiring the demolition of a Wilko store and the construction of the Holiday Inn Hotel that dominates the scene today.  

 

Trams have run in Blackpool since 29 September 1885 and the 19km system carries about 5M passengers/year.  

 

The fleet of Bombardier Flexity articulated low-floor trams was introduced in 2012. Blackpool Transport is wholly owned by Blackpool Council, which leases it the tramway and depots.