Blackpool Transport facts for kids
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English Electric Balloon tram at Cabin in July 2006
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| Parent | Blackpool Borough Council |
| Founded | 1885 |
| Headquarters | Rigby Road, Blackpool |
| Service area | The Fylde Coast, Lancashire |
| Service type | Tram and bus |
| Destinations | Fleetwood, Lytham St Annes, Kirkham, Knott End, Poulton-le-Fylde, Preston |
| Depot(s) | Starr Gate (Flexity 2 Trams) Rigby Road (Bus and Heritage Trams) |
| Fleet | 102 buses 25 trams Various heritage trams |
| Chief executive | Jane Cole |
| Web site | www.blackpooltransport.com |
Blackpool Transport Services Limited is a company that runs buses and trams. They operate in the towns of Blackpool and Fylde. Their services also reach nearby areas like Fleetwood, Lytham St Annes, Poulton-le-Fylde, Cleveleys, and Preston. Blackpool Transport is owned by the local government, Blackpool Council.
Contents
History of Blackpool Transport
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Blackpool Transport started way back in 1885. The town council created it. The tram system began on September 29, 1885. It used electricity from a special underground system. This method was tricky, so in 1899, overhead wires were put up instead.
In July 1920, the company added its first bus service. This bus ran between Cleveleys and Thornton railway station. The first bus route inside Blackpool itself started in December 1922.
In 1986, the company became a new legal business. This was to follow a new law called the Transport Act 1985. Later, in 1994, Blackpool Transport took over another local bus company called Fylde Borough Transport.
In April 2001, the company changed its name to Metro Coastlines. They also introduced a new system. Each main bus route had its own special colour. Buses on that route were painted mostly in that colour. There were twelve such routes. The famous tramway along the promenade also had its own colour scheme.
On July 26, 2010, the Metro Coastlines name was stopped. The company went back to being called Blackpool Transport. Buses got new black and yellow colours. They also got a new logo with a tower and waves. The trams now use purple and white colours. This new tram colour scheme started in 2012.
Where Blackpool Transport Works From
Blackpool Transport has three main places where they run their daily operations.
Rigby Road Depot
Rigby Road is the main office for the company. All the buses and older, special "heritage" trams are kept and fixed here. This depot has workshops for buses and heritage trams. It also has painting areas. In late 2022, work started to update an old building here. This was to get ready for new electric buses.
Starr Gate Depot
The modern trams are kept and looked after at the Starr Gate depot. This building is right on the promenade. It holds all the newer Bombardier Flexity2 trams. It also has a special area just for fixing them.
Market Street Office
For a short time, Blackpool Transport had a shop on Market Street. This was for customers to get help. However, it closed to the public because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Blackpool Transport still uses the building, but it is not open for visitors.
Bus Fleet Information
As of March 2024, Blackpool Transport has 102 active buses. All of these buses have a "low floor" design. This means they are easy to get on and off, especially for people with wheelchairs or pushchairs. The company bought all these buses new. In 2016, they planned to update most of their buses. The goal was for no bus to be older than five years by 2020.
For double-deck buses, the Alexander Dennis Enviro400 City is the most common type. They had 55 of these by June 2018. Four more arrived in 2020.
The most common single-deck bus is the Alexander Dennis Enviro200 MMC. They had eighteen of these in 2018, and this number has grown since. They also have five Mercedes-Benz Citaro O295 buses.
Bus Branding and Colours
From 1933 to 2001, Blackpool buses were green and cream. The way these colours were used changed over the years. After 2010, this changed to a new black and yellow design. Before this, each bus stop also showed the route's colour. Timetables were also colour-coded.
The special route colours were stopped in July 2010. Blackpool Transport made big changes to its bus routes then. The route 6 service, which had run for 84 years, was stopped. Route 2 ended in March 2015. Parts of its route were covered by services 12/13. However, the 12/13 routes were also stopped a year later. This happened because Lancashire County Council stopped funding them.
Palladium Buses
In 2015, Blackpool Transport launched a new special brand called Palladium. These buses have extra features. They have Wi-Fi, comfy leather-like seats, and wood-effect floors. They are painted in a grey and yellow colour scheme. The first route to get these new buses was route 5. It received new Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses.
Routes 7 and 9/9A were updated in 2016. Route 9/9A received new Alexander Dennis Enviro400 City buses. Other routes that now have Palladium buses include services 6, 9, 11, and 14. These routes use a mix of new and updated buses.
By 2019, all of Blackpool Transport's buses had the Palladium branding.
Electric Buses
In late 2022, Blackpool Transport announced exciting news. They received money to create a fleet of all-electric buses. The first electric buses started arriving in 2024. The company aims to have all its bus services running on electricity by 2025.
Tram Fleet Information
Blackpool Transport also runs the famous Blackpool Tramway. They have a varied fleet of trams. This includes eighteen modern Bombardier Flexity 2 trams. These are long, low-floor trams. They also have nine updated 1930s double-deck English Electric Balloon trams. A collection of older, special "heritage" trams were stopped in December 2024. This was because they were very old and difficult to operate.
Images for kids
Buses
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AEC Routemaster in April 1994
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A Metro Coastlines bus on the Promenade in August 2005
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A Dennis Trident bus on the Promenade in June 2013
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Trams
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Open-boat tram No. 605 in Blackpool in May 2009
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Centenary tram No. 642 at the Pleasure Beach in August 1990
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Brush Railcoach tram No. 630 in Blackpool in October 2005
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English Electric Balloon tram No. 712 and Millennium tram No. 707 at Sandcastle Water Park in July 1998
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See also
- Public transport in the Fylde
