It has been a week that one particular tramway in Britain would probably prefer to forget. Manchester Metrolink has not enjoyed an especially positive few days, with cars seemingly intent on disrupting services due to their propensity to leave established roads and journey along segregated tracks, thus blocking the passage of trams and then the weather conspiring to create one of the most disrupted days the network has ever experienced. Inevitably comparisons will be made between the M5000’s, which seem unable, at the moment, to cope with low temperatures, and traditional trams; the rosy tinted view being that they continued to battle on through all weathers. However, this viewpoint completes ignores the fact that every other modern system in the country continued to run unaffected by the weather. Clearly there are serious issues with the M5000’s and their ability to combat low temperatures; the negative publicity caused as a result of the failure to provide a service on December 13th can only lead to the public’s perception of trams being lowered and therefore it is sincerely hoped that Metrolink are able to solve these issues to avoid a repeat of the recent fiasco in the long wintery month ahead. With winter now firmly upon us, this week’s cover photos features two views of trams framed against a suitably frosty and cold backdrop. The profile picture is of Manchester 765 at Heaton Park, parked up on the mainline whilst fog swirls around the tram. Similar but slightly more extreme weather conditions were in evidence at Beamish in the banner picture which shows Grimsby and Immingham 26 departing from the Town area bound for Pockerely and about to vanish in a cloud of fog. With only a couple of weeks to go before we bid farewell to 2014, there is not a lot expected to happen on tramway systems around the country, although, as usual, all news will be recorded on this site as soon as it happens. In addition, our three regular features will continue unchanged throughout the week ahead. The site will continue counting down the Top 20 events from 2014, although there will be a pause mid week after number 11 is reached in order to examine the five less than welcome things which have occurred during the course of the year. Our other two features will be continuing on alternate days, as we chart both the history of the Prague system, which this week will focus on developments between 2005 and 2007, and record all the events from ten years ago, looking this week at what was occurring in the preservation movement during 2004. It has been another very successful week for Trams Today. Despite the efforts of one or two individuals, who have spent recent days attempting to undermine the site with increasingly abusive posts and messages, we have reached another milestone number of likes. Thanks to a surge in support for the page, we have exceeded 3800 followers this week and, as interest in the page continues to grow, we head closer towards achieving 4000 followers, hopefully during the course of next year. As ever, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all those who have discovered the page over the past few days and hope that you, and our established followers, enjoy all the content coming up in the days ahead.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 11:54:10 +0000
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