The End of Route 24 to Fleetwood

ADL Enviro200 MMC YX68 URF passing St Andrew's Church on Lord Street on 27th March

This weekend saw a number of planned revisions to bus services on the Fylde Coast, one of the biggest changes was the loss of the Transporabus service 24 between Cleveleys and Fleetwood. On Saturday 28th March, the Transporabus contract agreement with Lancashire County Council for the Cleveleys to Fleetwood section of their service 24 ended, from 29th March this route will be covered by an extension of Blackpool Transport's service 5. Most of the photos shown here were taken on Friday 27th March, the last weekday of Transporabus service 24 to Fleetwood, with one taken on Saturday 28th, the very last day.

Volvo MCV Evora BD74 FKE passing Flexity 002 at Fisherman's Walk on 27th March

Volvo MCV Evora BV24 LNA turning from Lofthouse Way into Elm Street on 27th March

ADL Enviro200 MMC YX68 URG travelling east along Elm Street in Fleetwood on 27th March

ADL Enviro200 MMC YX21 RVK turning out of Station Road in Fleetwood on a diversion on 27th March

E200 MMC YX71 OGY turning from Dock Street into Adelaide Street while on a diversion on 27th March

Volvo MCV Evora BD74 FKE on Poulton Road in Fleetwood on 27th March

E200 MMC YX68 URG on Cleveleys Promenade on the very last day of service on Saturday 28th March

Flexity 018 wearing new logos

Flexity 018 sporting its new cab end logos at North Pier on Thursday 26th March

Flexity 018 was spotted on the North Pier siding today sporting new Blackpool Transport logos on the cab ends, with a small 'UK Tram Operator of the Year' banner underneath the new logo at each end of the tram. Flexity 018 was being used for driver training when it was seen on 26th March.

An end view of Flexity 018 on the siding at North Pier

Flexity 018 at North Pier on 26th March

Fleetwood Ferry Track Welding

Grinding the newly welded rail on the Bold Street curve at Fleetwood Ferry

Remedial track welding is currently being undertaken on worn tram rails around the Fleetwood Ferry loop of the Blackpool Tramway. In view of the ongoing track work, all trams will be terminating at Fisherman’s Walk from Sunday 15th March until the end of service on Friday 3rd April. The specialist company Inline Track Welding Ltd has been engaged to rebuild the worn curves using metal welding, then the rail surface is ground flat again afterwards.

A close-up of the rail grinding taking place at Fleetwood Ferry

The vehicles of Inline Track Welding Ltd at Fleetwood Ferry

Cones and traffic diversions in place at Fleetwood Ferry

Flexity 015 turning short at Fisherman's Walk on 18th March due to the ongoing track work

Beach Bus 26 Returns for the Season

Transporabus Volvo B9TL 2802 passing South Pier on the second run of the day

Transporabus resumed their seasonal Beach Bus 26 service to Marton Mere Holiday Village on Saturday 14th March. Here are a few photos of 2802, a 2009 Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2, on the first trips of the day.

Transporabus 2802 on Station Road in South Shore on the 0945 from New Bonny Street

Transporabus 2802 on the 1200 departure from the Pleasure Beach

Reflection of a Flexity

A mirror image of Flexity 008 on the Promenade on 14th March

A convenient puddle on the Promenade after two days of rain, accompanied with clear sunny skies, afforded the chance to capture a nice reflection shot of Flexity 008 between the South Pier and Pleasure Beach stops on 14th March.

Road Planing Rigby Road & Blundell Street Junction

The road planer in operation on Rigby Road on 10th March

Further to the section of track that was removed to the north of the fitting shop in Blundell Street a few days ago, the tram tracks have now been lifted right across the junction with Rigby Road and into the northern part of Blundell Street, the reasons were obvious after a site visit on 10th March. The tram tracks have been removed in the area of the crossroads to enable a road planer to reduce the depth of the old road surface, in preparation for new layers of tarmac to be laid along Rigby Road and just into Blundell Street either side of the junction. A road planer belonging to J Fisher & Sons Ltd of Manchester was being used on Tuesday 10th March, to lower the road surface in readiness for resurfacing.

The road planer in action on Blundell Street

The Blundell Street & Rigby Road junction after the planer had removed the old road surface

Track Removal near north end of Fitting Shop

A view of the tram track which has been lifted in Blundell Street

A section of tram track has been removed in Blundell Street this week, which now prevents any tram from accessing the fitting shop via the northern (rear) entrance. It is not known why the short piece of track has been removed, as the remaining track along Blundell Street, through the new Foxhall Village housing development, is merely being covered over with tarmac rather than lifted. Access to Rigby Road from Blundell Street has been closed off for the duration of the work.

The track from the northern entrance of the fitting shop in the foreground

The remaining track heading north along Blundell Street still remains in situ