The South Fylde Line now gives passengers access to a new attraction, the newly refurbished Blackpool Tramway is to be officially opened on 3^rd 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.

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.

Full steam ahead as plans are approved for transformation of Burnley Manchester Road railway station.

Burnley Council in partnership with Lancashire County Council, the East Lancashire Community Rail Partnership, Northern Rail and Network Rail is redeveloping the station in advance of the implementation of the Todmorden Curve railway improvements, which will see travel times to Manchester cut from 1 hour and 10 minutes to 53 minutes. These improvements are likely to see a strong increase in passenger numbers at the station, which is already Burnley’s busiest station.

For full details of the press release please click here.

Yesterday, 8th March 2012, saw the Department for Transport publish a Command Paper entitled  ‘Reforming our Railways: Putting the Customer First’ which sets out the Goverment’s vision for the railways, alongside the policies that are needed to realise that vision.

The Command Paper can be seen on the DfT’s website at www.dft.gov.uk/publications/reforming-our-railways along with some related documents covering ‘Rail fares and ticketing review’ and ‘Rail decentralisation’ .

The 2012 DalesRail Walks Programme is now available to download – with around 155 guided walks available there is one suitable for everyone!

Click HERE to see the full 2012 programme or visit www.dalesrail.com/downloads for more information.

The spring 2012 guided walks programme is now available to download from the website. The programme is a series of Saturday walks accessible from the Bentham Line (Leeds to Morecambe). Click HERE to see the programme.

The brochure for the DalesRail 2012 season is now available as a download from the DalesRail website at www.dalesrail.com/downloads. Printed copies will be available from the normal outlets shortly.

Projects to improve three of the stations on the South Fylde Line have got underway. The projects are part of Fylde Borough Council’s Lytham St. Annes 2020 Vision and linked to the 2012 Open Golf Tournament that is being held at the prestigious Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in July. To see the full details please click HERE.

Northern Rail have advised us that there will be two new services introduced in East Lancashire with the May 2012 timetable changes.

On the Clitheroe Line there will be a 23.24 service (Mon – Sat) from Clitheroe to Blackburn calling at Whalley, Langho, Ramsgreave & Wilpshire and Blackburn.

On the East Lancs Line there will be 23.50 service (Fri only) from Colne to Preston calling at Nelson, Burnley Central, Accrington, Blackburn and Preston.

Full details of timings will be published shortly.

Accrington Eco Station has been short listed in the Station Excellence category of the 2011 Rail Business Awards. The awards ceremony will be taking place in London on February 16th 2012.

It is ‘on track’ for the transformation of Burnley Manchester Road station as plans are submitted.

An application for planning permission has been submitted for the redevelopment of Manchester Road Railway Station in Burnley.

Burnley Council in partnership with Lancashire County Council, the East Lancashire Community Rail Partnership, Northern Rail and Network Rail is redeveloping the station in advance of the implementation of the Todmorden Curve railway improvements, which will see travel times to Manchester cut from 1 hour and 45 minutes to 53 minutes. These improvements are likely to see a strong increase in passenger numbers at the station, which is already Burnley’s busiest station.

To see the full press release click HERE