In this week’s news from the light rail sector – Storm Eowyn disruption warning in Edinburgh and on Tyne & Wear Metro, ‘acts of kindness’ raise cash for charity in Nottingham, West Midlands Metro reminds customers of direct debit deals, and track works in Manchester.
NET
Nottingham’s tram network has raised more than £15,000 for a range of local charities and community initiatives in the city over the past year as part of its pledge to celebrate its 20th anniversary through an acts of kindness campaign.
As NET’s 2024 charity of the year, Nottingham Central Women’s Aid was a key focus for NET’s charity initiatives throughout the year.
This included raising nearly £2,000 during a ‘walk the network’ initiative in May, which saw 30 team members walking along the tram network for over 13 miles from Hucknall to Clifton South.
NET also raised funds from its family fun day in August, and this Christmas, transformed a tram into a Santa’s grotto, and you can read more here.
Edinburgh Trams
Following advice from the Scottish Government and Police Scotland, Edinburgh Trams took the difficult decision to suspend all services from 10:00 today (Friday, January 24). The operator aims to resume service in time for tonight’s evening peak and is posting hourly service updates on social media.
The move follows a rare Red weather warning, issued by the Met Office, which covers most of central Scotland and all of Edinburgh. This will bring extremely high winds, with gusts reaching up to 100mph.
Edinburgh Trams said the safety of customers and colleagues is of critical importance, and due to the weather and other factors, such as debris on the line, trams cannot safely operate and you can find out more here.
Manchester Metrolink
Track replacement work will be carried out at Weaste tram stop next month as this year’s programme of continuing improvements to the Metrolink network gets underway.
The work – scheduled to take place from Saturday, February 1 until Tuesday, February 25 – means no trams will run between Eccles and MediaCityUK during this time. Trams will continue to operate from Manchester city centre to MediaCityUK as normal.
A bus replacement service will run between the affected stops, and further details can be found here.
West Midlands Metro
West Midlands Metro is offering customers an unbeatable deal for unlimited tram travel for less than £3 per day, and by signing up to pay by direct debit they could save hundreds of pounds over the year.
As commuters fully return after the festive break, the operator is highlighting the most convenient and cost-effective way to pay for tram travel.
Michael Reading-Skilton, Metro’s Head of Commercial, said that at just £79.40 per month for adults, the direct debit deal offers great value for money, and you can find out more here.
Tyne & Wear Metro
Metro customers have been warned of possible disruption to travel today (Friday, January 24), due to the amber weather warning caused by Storm Eowyn.
Metro services are scheduled to run as usual, but there is a heightened risk of disruption across the day due to the wind. Customers are advised to be aware of this, plan ahead, and consider their travel options carefully.
The Met Office has issued an amber warning for the areas where Metro operates, and the full story can be found here.
Heritage
It’s still a couple of months before services will resume for another year on the Manx Electric Railway but there is still plenty of activity taking place in the Derby Castle Workshops, British Trams Online reports.
Several of the Winter Saloons have been seeing attention, with one motor getting ready for its first use since the end of 2022.
It was December 2022, when used on Santa Specials, that Winter Saloon 19 last ran in service and you can find more on this story here.
To be included in the next round-up or the Members News section of the UKTram website, send your press releases to info@uktram.org.
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