Trams in England

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Examples of public tram networks in England.

Trams in England encompass various tram networks integrated into the public transport system of England. Until 1935, there had been a large and comprehensive network of tram systems in towns and cities.

Contents

Most of the country's tram systems were replaced by bus services in the 1930s or shortly after the Second World War. England's tram systems were largely dismantled, and by 1960, only Blackpool Tramway survived. [1] [2] Since the 1990s, trams and light rail transportation have become increasingly common again, with a second generation of tram and light rail networks operating in cities and regions such as Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, London, and the West Midlands. [3]

Operating systems

The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro system serving the redeveloped Docklands and financial districts of London. First opened on 31 August 1987, the DLR has been extended multiple times, giving a total route length of 38 km (24 mi). Passenger numbers have greatly increased as the network has expanded, and in the financial year 2019/20 there were 116.8 million passenger journeys. [4] Tramslink is a light rail tram system serving the areas in South London. It is owned by London Trams, part of Transport for London. The network consists of 39 stops along 28 km (17 mi) of track, on a mixture of street track shared with other traffic, dedicated track in public roads, and off-street track consisting of new rights-of-way, former railway lines, and one right-of-way where the Tramlink track runs parallel to Network Rail lines. [5]

West Midlands Metro is a light rail tram system in the county of West Midlands. Opened on 30 May 1999, it currently consists of a single route, Line 1, which operates between the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton via the towns of Bilston, West Bromwich and Wednesbury, running on a mixture of reopened disused railway lines and on-street running in urban areas. The line originally terminated at Birmingham Snow Hill station, but with extensions opened in 2015 and 2019, now runs into Birmingham City Centre to terminate at Centenary Square, with a further extension to Edgbaston ongoing since 2021. Extensions to Edgbaston at the southern end and Wolverhampton railway station are under construction with passenger services. [6] Construction of a new Line 2 & 3 was approved in March 2019 and started in February 2020 for the Commonwealth Games. Following the opening of the extension into the city centre in 2016, usage increased sharply. [7] Figures for 2016/17 showed passenger numbers rose to over six million. [8]

The Sheffield Supertram is a light rail tram network, covering Sheffield and Rotherham. The infrastructure is owned by the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), from 2008, interest had been expressed in hybrid tram train operations, which would be able to use sections of the mainline rail network as well as tramways. The Supertram network now consists of 50 stations across four colour-coded lines, the Blue, Purple, Yellow and Tram-Train (Black) routes, which connect with local and national bus and rail services and six park and ride sites. [9]

Metrolink is owned by the public body Transport for Greater Manchester and integrated in the Bee Network. The network has 99 stops along 103 kilometres (64 mi) of standard-gauge rout making it the most extensive light rail system in England and one of the largest in Europe. [10] Metrolink is operated by a fleet of high-floor Bombardier M5000 light rail vehicles. [11] Each service runs to a 12-minute frequency; stops with more than one service experience combined frequencies of 6 minutes or less. [12] At the busiest times some services operate as 'doubles', with two vehicles coupled together. [11] In 2019/20, 44.3 million passenger journeys were made on the system. [13] The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has proposed numerous further expansions of the network, including the addition of tram train technology to extend Metrolink services onto local heavy-rail lines. [14]

Coventry Very Light Rail is a planned light rail tram system in Coventry. The first line of the system is set to be operational by 2024. [15] Further expansion of the network is intended after this point to cover various commercial, residential, and industrial districts, as well as linking up with other transit hubs. The concept has been developed as a means of delivering a light rail system at a much lower cost and with much reduced construction times than traditional tramways or light rail systems. [16] The system has been engineered for compatibility with the existing West Midlands Metro mass transit network. [16] [17] The vehicles are to be equipped with batteries; when combined with rapid charging systems, the need for overhead line equipment to be installed throughout the route is dispensed with, resulting in reduced installation costs. [18] Being electrically powered, it produces zero emissions and is therefore an environment-friendly means of transportation. [18] The concept for this mass transit system originated from the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), an institution that is closely associated with the University of Warwick. [19]

LocationSystemTraction

type

Date opened
Blackpool Blackpool Tramway Electric29 September 1885
South London Tramlink Electric10 May 2000
East London Docklands Light Railway Electric31 August 1987
Greater Manchester Metrolink Electric6 April 1992
Nottingham Nottingham Express Transit Electric9 March 2004
Sheffield and Rotherham Supertram Electric21 March 1994
Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland Tyne and Wear Metro Electric11 August 1980
West Midlands West Midlands Metro Electric30 May 1999

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester Metrolink</span> Tram system in Greater Manchester, England

Manchester Metrolink is a tram/light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. The network has 99 stops along 64 miles (103 km) of standard-gauge route, making it the most extensive light rail system in the United Kingdom. Over the 2022/23 financial year 36 million passenger journeys were made on the system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Midlands Metro</span> Light rail system in the West Midlands, England

The West Midlands Metro is a light-rail/tram system in the county of West Midlands, England. The network has 33 stops with a total of 14 miles (23 km) of track; it currently consists of a single route, Line 1, which operates between the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton via the towns of Bilston, West Bromwich and Wednesbury, on a mixture of former railway lines and urban on-street running. The system is owned by the public body Transport for West Midlands, and operated by Midland Metro Limited, a company wholly owned by the West Midlands Combined Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Yorkshire Supertram</span> Light rail system in South Yorkshire, England

The South Yorkshire Supertram, sometimes referred to as the Sheffield Supertram, is a tram and tram-train network covering Sheffield and Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England. The network is owned and operated by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport for West Midlands</span>

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is the public body responsible for co-ordinating transport services in the West Midlands metropolitan county in England. It is an executive body of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), with bus franchising and highway management powers similar to Transport for London. TfWM's policies and strategy are set by the Transport Delivery Committee of the WMCA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tram-train</span> Tramway routes which share track with main-line railways

A tram-train is a type of light rail vehicle that both meets the standards of a light rail system, and also national mainline standards. Tramcars are adapted to be capable of running on streets like an urban tramway but also be permitted operation alongside mainline trains. This allows services that can utilise both existing urban light rail systems and mainline railway networks and stations. It combines the urban accessibility of a tram or light rail with a mainline train's greater speed in the suburbs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firema T-68</span> Light rail passenger vehicle

The Firema T-68 was a model of light rail passenger vehicle first operated on the Manchester Metrolink network in Greater Manchester, England in 1992. It was constructed by Firema specifically as a high-floor, articulated bi-directional tram to operate solely on the Manchester Metrolink system.

The West Midlands Metro is a passenger light rail line in the West Midlands conurbation in England, which opened in 1999. Its rolling stock consists of 21 CAF Urbos 3 trams which came into service in 2014/15, replacing the older T-69 trams which had operated the line since 1999.

The Light Rail Transit Association (LRTA), formerly the Light Railway Transport League (LRTL), is a non-profit organisation whose purpose is to advocate and encourage research into the retention and development of light rail and tramway/streetcar systems. The LRTA publishes the monthly magazine Tramways & Urban Transit, and is based in the United Kingdom but with an international membership and remit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Manchester</span> Overview of the transport infrastructure of Greater Manchester

The transport infrastructure of Greater Manchester is built up of numerous transport modes and forms an integral part of the structure of Greater Manchester and North West England – the most populated region outside of South East England which had approximately 301 million annual passenger journeys using either buses, planes, trains or trams in 2014. Its position as a national city of commerce, education and cultural importance means the city has one of the largest and most thorough transport infrastructures which is heavily relied upon by its 2.8 million inhabitants in the Greater Manchester conurbation and further afield in the North West region. Public transport comes under the jurisdiction of Transport for Greater Manchester.

Rapid transit in the United Kingdom consists of four systems: the London Underground and the Docklands Light Railway in London; the Tyne and Wear Metro in Tyne and Wear; and the Glasgow Subway. The term may also include commuter rail systems with aspects of rapid transit such as the London Overground and Elizabeth line in London, and Merseyrail in the Liverpool City Region. Rapid transit has also been proposed in other UK cities including Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bristol, and Cambridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urban rail in the United Kingdom</span>

Urban andsuburban rail plays a key role in public transport in many of the major cities of the United Kingdom. Urban rail refers to the train service between city centres and suburbs or nearby towns that acts as a main mode of transport for travellers on a daily basis. They consist of several railway lines connecting city centre stations of major cities to suburbs and surrounding towns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burton Road tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

Burton Road is a stop on the South Manchester Line of Greater Manchester's light rail Metrolink system. It is located on Burton Road, on the border of the suburbs of Withington and West Didsbury in Manchester, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombardier M5000</span> Tram used on Manchester Metrolink

The Bombardier M5000, is a model of light rail passenger vehicle. It is part of the Flexity Swift range of vehicles, built specifically as a high-floor, articulated bi-directional tram to operate solely on the Manchester Metrolink system in England. The Metrolink system is the only tram network in the United Kingdom capable of running vehicles in multiple and subsequently the M5000s can operate as either a single vehicle or coupled together to form a "double" unit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Manchester Metrolink</span>

The history of Manchester Metrolink begins with its conception as Greater Manchester's light rail system in 1982 by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, and spans its inauguration in 1992 and the successive phases of expansion.

This timeline lists significant events in the history of Greater Manchester's light rail network called the Manchester Metrolink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 399</span> Class of tram-train vehicles

The British Rail Class 399 Citylink is a type of rail vehicle built by Vossloh on its Citylink platform for operation by Sheffield Supertram. Primarily a low-floor tram, it is also capable of being used on the National Rail network; the Class 399 is the first such tram-train to see operational use in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altrincham Line</span> Manchester Metrolink line

The Altrincham Line is a tram line of the Manchester Metrolink running from Manchester to Altrincham in Greater Manchester. Originally a railway line, it was, along with the Bury Line, converted into a tramway during 1991–92, as part of the first phase of the Metrolink system.

Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) is a light rail/tram system proposed to operate in Coventry. The system has been promoted as being the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. When finished, it will also be the first tram network to operate in Coventry since the Second World War.

References

  1. ↑ "January 1886: Blackpool's electric trams". The Engineer. 2014-01-29. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  2. ↑ Reith-Banks, Tash; Swann, Glenn (2018-08-24). "In praise of the tram: Britain's lost network and the future of transport". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  3. ↑ "A Light Rail Strategy for the UK" (PDF). UK Trams.
  4. ↑ "Light rail and tram statistics (LRT)". Department for Transport. 25 June 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  5. ↑ "London Trams". Transport for London. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  6. ↑ Ltd, DVV Media International. "Midland Metro Alliance to manage tramway expansion projects".
  7. ↑ "Midland Metro numbers jump by a third after Birmingham extension". Express & Star. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  8. ↑ "Light Rail and Tram Statistics: England 2016/17" (PDF). Department for Transport. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  9. ↑ "Sheffield Supertram". UK Tram. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  10. ↑ "New Metrolink line to Wythenshawe and Manchester Airport to open on November 3 – a year ahead of schedule". Manchester Evening News. 13 October 2014. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  11. 1 2 Tramways & Urban Transit (15 February 2019). "Evolving the M5000". Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  12. ↑ "Metrolink tram times". Transport for Greater Manchester. 19 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  13. ↑ "Light Rail and Tram Statistics: England 2018/19" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  14. ↑ "Place North West | Metrolink heads to Stalybridge and Middleton in 2040 expansion". Place North West. 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  15. ↑ "Trams to run on Coventry's streets for first time since The Blitz". Coventry Telegraph. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  16. 1 2 "Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR)". railway-technology.com. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  17. ↑ "Coventry light rail design deal awarded". New Civil Engineer. 18 January 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  18. 1 2 "Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR)". railway-technology.com. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  19. ↑ "Trams to run on Coventry's streets for first time since The Blitz". Coventry Telegraph. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
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