Northern Rail Franchise Extended

Communityrailman is pleased to say (no truly!) that the Department for Transport has just announced that the Northern Franchise has been granted a continuation. This means that Northern will continue to operate local and regional services across the north of England until 1st April 2014.

To see a full News Release please click HERE.

Blackpool’s New Trams

Communityrailman (and Mrs. Communityrailman) ventured to Blackpool last Saturday to have a ride on one of the new Flexity 2 trams gracing the refurbished tramway. Joining, a very full, tram 004 at the North Pier we travelled the full distance to Fleetwood Ferry. Many of the people on board alighted at Cleveleys and the tram had around a dozen on at Fleetwood.

We manged to get seats right behind the driver for the return trip right the way through to Starr Gate and then with  only a short 5 min walk were able to join the heavy rail network at Squires Gate for our return trip to Blackburn – proving that you can travel by ’rail’ from Fleetwood into the heart of East Lancashire.

Flexity 2 tram 004 stands at Starr Gate

 

 

      

Recent Publications

Communityrailman is pleased to announce that Reading Between The Lines Issue 14 of the, very popular, Lancashire Community Rail Partnerships newsletter has just been published and can be downloaded by clicking HERE.

Also published today, following approval at the Annual General Meeting of the Clitheroe Line & East Lancashire Joint CRPs, is their Annual Report that can be downloaded by clicking HERE.  

Peter Moore plaque

Communityrailman was pleased to be on hand yesterday to witness the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the life of Peter Moore who sadly died in January. The plaque on Blackburn station was unveiled by his wife Joan and members of his family.

Peter was a founder member of Ribble Valley Rail and was a tireless campaigner for the re-opening of the Clitheroe to Blackburn branch line. Following the reintroduction of passenger services in 1994 Peter continued to work with local councils, the rail industry and the newly formed Clitheroe Line Community Rail Partnership to campign for better timetables, a permanent Sunday service and inprovements to the stations. He was Chairman of Ribble Valley Rail, the rail user group for the line, until his death and was highly regarded in the industry for his efforts.

The plaque was organised by James Syson (Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council), Chair of the CRP, as a fitting memory to all of Peter’s hard work and is installed on the wall of the waiting room on platform 2 on Blackburn station.

le Feast

Communityrailman was honoured to be invited to get involved with a Radio Lancashire outside broadcast from Poulton-le-Fylde station last week. The occasion was another of their series on promoting new businesses – le Feast is a brand new cafe (well six weeks old actually) that has opened, down on the platform at Poulton-le-Fylde, in the old Chargeman’s Office.

I can highly recommend the cafe to you all, and almost insist that you visit it immediately – the home made cakes are a match for that other communityrailman favourite, the station cafe at Hebden Bridge and they are doing well, with a brisk trade on the day we were there. Visit www.lefeast.co.uk for more details of this new venture.

Blackpool’s Revamped Tramway Reopens

The newly refurbished Blackpool Tramway opens to the public tomorrow,  4th April 2012. The brand new Bombardier Flexity 2 trams will be able to make the journey from Starr Gate to Fleetwood in under an hour!

‘Rail’ travel is now possible from Preston to Fleetwood via the beautiful Fylde Coast with only a short walk from Squires Gate or Blackpool Pleasure Beach stations to the tramway.

From Squires Gate Lane on the Blackpool/Fylde Borough border, stroll down to Starr Gate where the new tram depot is sited. This is one of the finest facilities of its kind in Europe, designed and equipped to accommodate and maintain sixteen trams. It is a spectacular building, which has featured in the European ‘Tramstore 21’ best practice programme. Trams preparing for service are clearly visible on the depot apron and going through the hi-tech tram wash.

Flexity 2 tram 001 stands in the new tram depot

Board the tram at the adjacent tram stop for the complete system journey via the Blackpool resort core, into Wyre Borough and on to Fleetwood.

If you disembark at Blackpool Pleasure Beach station, walk to the sea past the Big Blue and other south shore hotels and promenade among the Great Promenade Show’s modern sculpture display before catching the tram for your onward trip.

From Blackpool South station, take in the shops in the recently re-modelled Waterloo Road District Centre and speciality outlets – including cowboy boots and clothing, haberdashery, vacuum cleaner parts, mobility aids, hand made ice cream and die cast models – on Bond Street, before checking out South Pier and the promenade headland. Then catch a new Bombardier Flexity 2 tram.

These new tram vehicles are an experience in themselves: smooth running, comfortable, versatile, air conditioned, faster with better acceleration and full disabled accessibility. Of course everybody loves the old trams, but the Flexity 2 vehicles are from a different world of quality. Not all the old trams are departing: a ‘B’ fleet of refurbished balloon trams will support the Flexity 2s at peak demand times, while a number of historic vehicles will operate in the Blackpool resort core. Illuminated trams, including the Western Train, will continue to operate during the ‘Lights’.

Flexity 2 001 stands outside the new tram depot
with Balloon 700 in the background

A trip from Preston, or any intermediate South Fylde Line station, to the new Blackpool Tramway and on to Fleetwood, is an excursion well worth taking. Buy an all day pass (http://www.blackpooltransport.com/ for details) and do the three resorts – Blackpool, Cleveleys, Fleetwood – in a day. But then if the Flexity 2 had a café, you’d never want to get off.

   

Jolly Holidays

Communityrailman is on a weeks leave and spending days out in various parts of the north of England. Yesterday saw us venturing to Chester – a great day out! The outward journey was like clockwork – 10.58 from Preston to Warrington BQ, 3 minute connection on same platform, arrive Chester 11.53!

The return trip was by no means as satisfying – the Arriva Trains Wales customer service staff at Chester need to sharpen up their skills! We arrived for the 15.46 ATW service to Warrington which was shown as running on time as was the 15.35 London train. The London train then disappeared off the screens only to reappear shown as running 10 mins late – no announcements! Eventually it was evident that our train was behind the London train as it was by now also running late. Again no announcements, and it to disappeared off the screens – after about 5 mins it to reappeared with a platform alteration,  but no announcements. The train finally left Chester over 30 mins late (they did announce the platform change about 2 minutes before it left). The first time we had an apology and explanation was when we arrived at Warrington BQ, when the Virgin staff let us know it was a bridge bash that had caused the delay and apologised for the delay!

To say that Mrs. Communityrailman was disgruntled would be an understatement!