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A Blackpool tram...an icon of the Fylde coast. But for how long?
THE harsh reality is without multi-million pound investment, the world's most famous tram system could soon be reduced to nothing more than a truncated trundle along the seafront, For the likely scenario is if the £88m bid to upgrade the network and vehicles is turned down again, in years to come the only section of track to operate will be between Bispham and the Pleasure Beach.
And there are very real fears that eventually the whole route will close.
Today, in our opinion column, we ask the Government to approve the funding needed to save Blackpool's trams.
Two years ago, Transport Secretary Alistair Darling threw out the resort's bid for cash.
Everyone, from the town's leaders to its commuters – residents and visitors alike – knows we can't afford for him to do it again.
As Blackpool's ambitious regeneration gathers pace, there is no doubt increased visitor numbers will mean the resort must have a reliable, efficient, and environmentally friendly public transport system.
2006 is a big year for Blackpool – arguably the biggest in its history.
Key decisions are to be made over the siting of the UK's first super casino as well as the destination of millions of pounds in regeneration lottery cash.
The Blackpool 2006 campaign was launched to galvanise local support before such decisions were made - as well as highlight the desperate need for investment in the resort's much-loved, but antiquated tram system.
A decision on whether Blackpool gets the 88m it needs to not only modernise, but save, a symbol just as iconic as The Tower, is expected in the spring.
Steve Burd, managing director of Blackpool Transport, is in no doubt about the importance of the must-win bid.
He said: "We're in a situation whereby parts of the tramway and the electrical infrastructure will only last for a few years. Government funding for a tramway upgrade is therefore essential. Without this funding it's inevitable the tramway will have to be reduced in terms of its total length over the next few years.
"The limited financial resources available will have to be concentrated in the core central area between Bispham and the Pleasure Beach.
"If something major goes on another section of track, it will lead to the closure of other sections."
And there are many areas of the network which already need attention.
The bid, which won the backing of the North West Regional Assembly in January, includes:
n The replacement of all the track not replaced in the last three years.
n New overheads put in on the section north of Thornton Gate, effectively linking Cleveleys with Fleetwood.
n The purchase of 16 low floor accessible trams.
n The creation of low floor accessible platforms.
n A new garage for the trams on the site of the council-owned Blundell Street car park, which was where the original tram depot stood.
n The rebuilding of the tram engineering works at Rigby Road.
The bid, which will improve reliability and speed of the service, has been scaled down from a previous request for 118m. That attempt to get cash failed two years ago when the Government applied a percentage increase based on overspending on previous schemes elsewhere which pushed the project up to 170m.
As a result, transport planners went back to the drawing board. A town centre route to Blackpool North railway station and links to Lytham and even Poulton, had to be sacrificed.
But there are hopes these proposals, plus a link to Blackpool International Airport, could be resurrected in the future if the existing line is refurbished.
Although the overall cost is 88m, the Government will only fund 75 per cent of that, with Blackpool Council and Lancashire County Council having to find the rest of the funding, which they have already committed to doing.
Blackpool's bid was not the only one to be given the heave-ho. Liverpool has been turned away too.
But where the resort holds all the cards is that its upgrade is just that - an upgrade. So the land is already owned by the council and there is already a track there. This reduces the risks of the scheme massively.
Developers will not have to move other utilities, or face unforeseen costs over land ownership, which are among the problems experienced by projects ploughing a path along brand new routes. Cheaper trams have also been sourced. Built in the Czech Republic, the Skoda Astra costs a third of the price of similar models built in western Europe.
It is not definite that they would be chosen, but reports from Portland in Oregon, USA, where they already operate on a six mile loop, suggest the vehicles are reliable.
Under the new regime, they would run every 10 minutes year round.
The new low level trams are also essential because by 2020 all public transport must be accessible to disabled passengers although Blackpool Transport is applying for an exemption so that its heritage trams can still operate as a tourist attraction.
Mr Burd said: "The bid has to demonstrate the tramway system isn't just used by visitors, but by locals as well, and if the service is enhanced to be low floor, it will encourage more people to use it.
"The council is very aware of the proposed impact of the masterplan. If regeneration is successful and we get a super casino, travel demand will increase even more.
"That's one of the reasons the tramway needs to be upgraded because the road system is unlikely to be able to cope with all the extra people coming into town."
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Weather for Blackpool
Monday 13 February 2012
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Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
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