At Last. Trams reach Blackpool North station

Thursday 27th June 2024

It was back in December 2017 Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling (remember him?), gave the formal go-ahead for the £23.4 million Blackpool Tramway extension from North Pier along Talbot Road to Blackpool North railway station, enabling construction of the 600 yards of track to begin in April 2018 with a grand opening initially planned for July 2019.

Five years later, the extension finally opened, on Sunday 16th June, restoring a direct link to the station from Fleetwood and Cleveleys, at the northern end of the line, as well as Starr Gate and the Pleasure Beach at the southern end, which last ran in 1936.

Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership stumped up £16.4 million of the cost and granted the scheme ‘Conditional Approval’ in April 2016 but it took until November 2017 to sort those ‘Conditions’ out and the Full Business Case was given ‘Full approval’. Costs included the purchase of Wilko’s old retail store (where the new terminus and a new Holiday Inn Hotel now sit) as well as two additional trams to run the extended service, although in practice the frequency hasn’t proportionately improved, if anything it’s got worse in one respect, as we’ll see.

The £7 million funding balance came from Blackpool Council, including Private Sector Developer contributions. The Council also underwrote any overspend which, bearing in mind the five year delay, one would assume involves a significant sum, but the Council denies this, meaning the only financial penalty has been five years worth of lost revenue.

It’s reckoned the scheme has a Benefit to Cost Ratio of 3.07 representing ‘High Value for Money’. Operator revenue over the 60 year appraisal period is “nearly 33% higher than forecast operating costs” with the scheme generating “between 11,500 and 20,000 additional visitor trips to Blackpool per annum, generating between £29.5 million and £50.9 million Gross Value Added (GVA) benefits over the 60 year project appraisal period”.

So you can see the sums admirably added up for the Full Business Case, and even that pessimistic projection of 11,500 extra visitors over the next 60 years has got off to a flying start as I made it over to Blackpool yesterday to check out the new extension – a journey I wouldn’t have done had there been no extension, so that’s one in the bag for the Business Case target.

Trouble is, I took a packed lunch and thermos flask with me so I didn’t really add anything to Blackpool’s GVA. Still, the thought was there and I did pay the standard single fare of £3.50 for a two minute ride to the North Pier.

To explain the new operating pattern of service, Blackpool Transport has given the tram service three route numbers.

T1 represents the original service along the coast between Starr Gate and Fleetwood, which doesn’t divert to North Station.

T2 represents journeys from Starr Gate (in the south) to North Station, and T3 journeys from Fleetwood (in the north) to North Station.

But, here’s the rub. Whereas the previous timetable had a 15 minute frequency on the T1, this is now reduced to every 30 minutes, supplemented by a 30 minute frequency on both the T2 and T3. So, it’s still four trams an hour along the coast, just that every other one no longer operates ‘through’ but instead diverts at North Pier/Talbot Square to North Station.

The unfortunate impact of the new timetable is the frequency of southbound journeys between Talbot Square/Tower and Starr Gate is no longer an even 15 minute frequency, as a T1 tram follows five minutes behind a T2 one, then leaving a 25 minute gap before the next T2.

It looks to me, whereas the previous timetable could be operated by 10 trams taking 150 minutes for a complete rounder including stand time at the termini, the new setup takes five trams for the T1, two for the T2 and four for the T3 making for an increase in just one tram rather than the two included in the Business Case. Perhaps that second tram was sacrificed for a post Covid cost saving and the uneven frequency?

Mind you, it would make for a very inefficient schedule if it had been included. As it is, trams on the T3 sit for 15 minutes at North Station while the T2 is tighter with a six minute layover.

It should also be noted all other sections of the T1 route have an even 15 minute frequency with the T2/T3 offering a combined 15 minute frequency of trams leaving North Station, so in the grand scheme of things the 5-25-5-25 southbound frequency pattern is probably the least worst outcome.

I had a look around the new extension yesterday and it was interesting to see about a dozen passengers alighting and boarding most trams arriving and departing North Station indicating it’s got off to a good start.

I was a bit surprised to see a proliferation of red and white barriers…

… all over the place indicating, despite the delayed opening by many years, work is still not complete.

The electronic departure signs on the island platform haven’t been activated so there’s no ‘real time’ departure information…

… but a couple of posters show timetables and a route diagram and tram conductors are on hand to help and advise.

The T3 tram arrives at the station from Fleetwood at 15 and 45 minutes past each hour just as the T2 leaves for Starr Gate so you could make a nifty cross platform interchange…

… although it makes more sense to alight at North Pier and walk the short distance to the Tower.

I caught a T3 tram from the station down Talbot Road to North Pier. Despite an errant motorist who thought nothing of blocking the tracks….

… which a quick blast of the tram horn soon made them move, it took just a couple of minutes as against four minutes running time given in the timetable.

Right on cue a T2 tram appeared from the south heading towards the station and most people alighted at the Talbot Square bus stop as well as a crew change.

It’s been a long time coming but overall it looks like passengers are already appreciating the new interchange at the station…

… with the tram island platform just a short walk through an enlarged underpass and under the hotel.

I see there’s scope for a couple of retail outlets there, but I’m not sure footfall will be large enough. It’ll be interesting to see if enterprising retailers take up the opportunities.

It’s not immediately clear where alighting passengers, not wanting the rail station, should go for the ‘Way Out’ from the new island platform. It could do with a sign to point to the steps alongside the hotel which are accessed from the opposite end of the platform to the rail station exit…

… especially as signs imply there’s no exit from where the trams have just arrived. Passengers understandably looked confused.

Perhaps it’s awaiting completion of the approach which may include pedestrian footpaths alongside the tracks?

I’m sure most residents and visitors will welcome the new extension now it’s finally opened. Most of the delays surrounded the demolition of the WIlko building (it didn’t commence until September 2020) as well as problems with the quality of paving including reports of “boot prints in asphalt, standing water and a pothole” as well as “technical problems with some of the cladding on the building” Local press reports say “senior councillors have met privately to dsicuss an ongoing dispute with the contractor”.

It was noteworthy on my visit yesterday despite all the barriers and unfinished work, no contractors were on site. It looked to me as though finishing work had been “paused”.

It’s interesting to look back on Chris Grayling’s letter of approval for the scheme in November 2017 where he lists some of the points made by objectors to what was called ‘BNE’ – Blackpool North Extension.

Blackpool Council’s consultants batted away these points with a robust repsonse.

I’m sure the extension will prove itself over the next 60 years and the five year delay will soon be forgotten (just as with Crossrail/Elizabeth line) …. but the work needs to be finished and those barriers removed, ideally before the peak summer season when schools break up next month.

Roger French

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