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Blackpool tram threat - special report
THEY are about as famous as a British vehicle can be. Blackpool trams are right up there in the country's psyche with the QE2, the Mersey Ferry, the Mini and London's once proud, but now out of service Routemaster red bus.
Trips to the resort for families are not complete without a ride – albeit a bumpy one in recent times – from Starr Gate to Gynn Square and beyond.
But hundreds of "trammies" will be forced on the buses until Easter as transport bosses mothball them in the depot for the winter in order to carry out essential track repairs.
End of line for Blackpool trams
Click here to see our nostalgic tram picture gallery
Trams: A symbol of our resort
It's Christmas off for the tram cars, and their drivers, many of whom are taking sabbaticals until the tracks power up again in March.
But what future awaits the Golden Mile's star transportation in the New Year?
The network closes for essential maintenance works to be carried out. When you consider some parts of the line have been around since Victorian times, the work being carried out needs to be done as soon as possible.
There is also an underlying reason for the 11.8m maintenance work – council and transport chiefs are hoping it will go a long way to proving to the Government Blackpool is worth having an extra 77m in order to complete this ambitious task.
They are bidding for the cash which will transform the 11 miles of track from an antiquated service to a modern network over the next few years.
Sadly, despite many false dawns the announcement "was imminent", nothing has come north from Department of Transport HQ.
Gordon Brown in his now infamous "are supercasinos really a good idea?" speech at Prime Minister's Questions, mentioned the trams as one way Blackpool could regenerate itself.
But still no news on the Blackpool bid.
If the money fails to materialise, however, it could mean five months of maintenance work will be a "waste of time", according to Blackpool Transport managing director Steve Burd.
He said: "If we do not manage to secure the funding, then we will not be able to run a tram system.
"By next summer our trams will be running on the best tracks that they have been on in years. But we need the rest of the funding in order to finish the job.
"The big problem is the tram track infrastructure. The very worst bits have been done, but this winter a lot more will be replaced.
"If the tracks weren't done, they would fail in the next year or so. It is vital we get the remaining sections of track done."
Blackpool's trams carry more than 100 years of heritage. While other towns have ditched them in favour of modern networks, the resort kept faith and kept millions of visitors coming to the town.
The illuminated trams are still a popular sight during the Lights season and events like Fleetwood's Tram Sunday bring millions of pounds into the Fylde.
A legion of tram enthusiasts still continue to follow their plight and with Blackpool getting ready to celebrate 125 years of the service in 2010, one fan is hoping now is the time that the resort embraces the future without forgetting the past.
Lancashire Tram Trustee, Philip Higgs, a former worker on Blackpool's tram system said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for Blackpool to celebrate its significance as Europe's first electric tramway and act as a tourist draw.
"By the time this winter's work is completed, 70 per cent of the tracks will be maintained, which will help maintain tourism in Blackpool next season and possibly the one after.
"The current tramway system will mirror the trends being experienced by the town's tourist market.
"Year on year we are seeing less people coming to Blackpool. Less visitors equal less tram passengers which will undermine the business case for a year-round Super Tramway.
"There are still an awful lot of tram enthusiasts out there who all share the same concerns, namely how to keep the system running and providing and enjoyable experience for everyone.
"What Blackpool is very unique for is the iconic 1930s trams and the council and transport bosses must not forget this.
"While I think that we should modernise the system, it is also essential that we maintain some of the older trams."
This is an option which has already been confirmed by the council, which today said town hall bosses would continue to run the heritage trams should this current bid be successful.
Paul Growcott, project manager at Blackpool council, said: "The intention is not to scrap the old trams. We will run the heritage trams, but they will have to become disabled passenger-friendly.
"We are currently looking at a number of European manufacturers for trams should the bid be a success."
Blackpool North and Fleetwood MP Joan Humble said: "It is important that this winter maintenance work is carried out.
"I have been in touch with Blackpool Transport and have had assurances that extra buses will run while the trams are out of service.
"Our tramline is not just valuable to the visitors, but also for the residents so it's vital that this funding is made available.
"Like many of the resort's regeneration projects, this upgrade will take Blackpool to the next level and bring more people into the resort."
They have done so for 122 years so who is to argue with that?
And who can argue that Blackpool's much-loved transport icon is not deserving of the long-awaited, yet to materialise, 77m cash pot from Whitehall?
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Weather for Blackpool
Thursday 24 May 2012
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