TONY MILES REPORTS FROM THE SEASIDE RESORT ON THE LANCASHIRE COAST
‘There’s a famous seaside place called Blackpool.
That’s noted for fresh air and fun.’ So goes Stanley Holloway’s famous monologue. But Blackpool is noted not only for having hungry lions in its zoo prone to eating little boys named Albert, but also for boasting the country’s only tram system that has provided a public service continuously since it first opened, defying the post-war closure programme across the rest of the UK. (Brighton’s Volks Tramway is the oldest in the world still operating, but only runs in the summer.) Owned by Blackpool Council, Blackpool Tramway opened on 29 September 1885 and is operated on its behalf by Blackpool Transport. For decades the system was seen mainly as a tourist attraction, with an assortment of heritage vehicles providing an inconsistent service. This changed on 6 November 2011 when the traditional fleet worked for the final time and the entire system was closed for an extensive £100 million modernisation to light rail standards in preparation for the arrival of a new 16-strong fleet of Flexity 2 trams manufactured by Bombardier and numbered 001-016. The line voltage was raised from 550V DC to …
