Until 2011 what we now call the “Heritage” trams operated the main Blackpool tram service between Starr Gate and Fleetwood, operating 364 days of the year. After the multi-million pound upgrade transformed the tramway into the light-rail system you see today, plans were made to retain a core selection of trams from the original system and return them to passenger carrying duties once more.
The success of the heritage operation was such that in 2015 a small team of volunteers were recruited to complement the Blackpool Transport staff in crewing the trams. This allowed for a significant increase in service, enabling more people to take a trip on one of our magnificent vehicles! Our volunteer team has grown each year as we continue to increase the days and times we operate.
We were especially proud when, in 2020, we were awarded the prestigious honour of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the equivalent of an MBE for voluntary groups. You can read more about this here.
The Fylde Transport Trust assists Blackpool Transport to help support the future of our Heritage Trams. This includes plans that will see more trams restored and brought back to operational condition, expanding our fleet and bringing the history of Blackpool alive on the promenade once more.
We have continually increased and improved the service we offer ever since the Heritage Tram team was first formed and we are keen for this to continue but the restrictions and precautions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has produced a whole new set of challenges for us, as it has for many.
In other years, to support the improvements, we have been keen to grow our dedicated team of volunteers. Unfortunately, for the moment, we have had to pause our recruitment whilst we cope with the ever-changing situation in which we all find ourselves.
If you are interested in joining our team we would ask you to come back here toward the end of the year when our plans and the possibilities for 2022 will be much clearer.