Good news for tram spotters – they’re back on track in the UK

THERE was a time trams were a familiar sight on Britain’s streets. From Dover and Brighton to London, Birmingham, and Edinburgh, these ‘iron horses’ clanked along offering a sometimes uncomfortable means of getting around.

One by one the tram routes disappeared; some in the 1930’s and London’s in the early 1950’s. Petrol buses were quieter and more comfortable. But now, pollution and congestion are problems, and there’s growing pressures for tramways to be re-instated. In the late 1980’s, commuters in Croydon, south of London, were using tramways. Manchester followed in 1992. The Manchester Metrolink carried 31.2 million passengers in 2014/15 and covers 57 miles over seven different routes including the airport, and stopping at 93 stations.

Blackpool’s seafront tramway continued to operate, but it was old and expensive to maintain. The town now has a fleet of modern, German (Bombardier) trams with an upgraded 11.5-mile track. The trams are classed as a light railway and attract thousands of holidaymakers, although during the summer and for the autumn Illuminations, the original Heritage trams are rolled out. The vintage trams – one is over 100 years old – are maintained by a team of six engineers working for Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours. The trams are operated by a team of volunteers, many of whom are former drivers and conductors.

Further north, Edinburgh has realised the value of reducing noise and congestion by recently introducing a modern tramway 8.7 miles in length from York Place (east of Waverley) to Edinburgh Airport, with 15 stations.

The original Edinburgh tramway ran from 1871 until 1956, but in the 1990’s proposals were put forward to create a new, modern tramway. By completion – and many false starts on the way – the finished system is estimated to have cost £521 million, but is already carrying 4.9 million passengers annually.

Edinburgh’s tramway uses a combination of segregated off-road track and street-running, with cobbles used in some places – much to the consternation of cyclists – to identify the tramway.

Across Europe, trams are a familiar sight in countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. But now that British cities are realizing the full potential of trams in reducing city centre congestion and pollution, it is both locals and tourists who are taking advantage of modern, quiet ‘iron horses’ to get around and see the sights.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK