Posted 4th April 2012 | 2 Comments
New Blackpool tram derailed by sand on first day
One of the 16 new trams which have been bought for Blackpool
A NEW Bombardier Flexity tram was derailed on 4 April at Fleetwood, on the opening day of Blackpool's new modernised tram system.
Operator Blackpool Transport attributed the derailment to sand on the tracks.
The incident happened near Fleetwood Ferry at 05.55, when the service had just opened to fare paying passengers.
Blackpool Transport said staff had been trying to keep the track clear with brushes and trowels, but that more sand kept blowing across from the nearby beach.
The tram involved is one of 16 which have been bought for £33 million as part of the £100 million modernisation scheme, which also includes 11km of relaid track and a new depot for the Bombardier fleet at Starr Gate, near Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
The Department for Transport has contributed £68 million towards the cost of the upgrade, which had been declared formally open the previous day by transport minister Norman Baker.
The resort's traditional heritage fleet, which includes some of the last double-decker trams in service in Europe, will now only be used at weekends and peak holiday periods.
Reader Comments:
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Lutz, London
There is an article in the Blackpool Gazette on station link. The a set of points was installed as part of the new track work to accommodate a future link to the station, but as of the present, there is no confirmed funding.
John Gilbert, Cradley
This news is worrying. Blown sand problems can scarcely be out of the ordinary in Blackpool but this is the first we have heard of such major disruption. So does this mean that the wonderful new trams cannot cope? The mind boggles if so. It would be instructive as well as helpful if we could be vouchsafed more information.
On another subject, is there any news of how soon the extension from the Promenade to the station is to be started? I understand that turnouts from the main line were laid in as part of the relaying on the Promenade. (Would I be right in guessing that such an extension would be some half a mile in length?)