The South Fylde Line now gives passengers access to a new attraction, the newly refurbished Blackpool Tramway is to be officially opened on 3rd April 2012. With a short walk between the three Blackpool stations and the Promenade tram stops, the tramway will enable rail travel between Preston and Fleetwood via the beautiful Fylde Coast.
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.
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’.
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.




