Blackpool Tramway opens partially

Information from David Gambles. On website 23 April 2011.

Blackpool's trams have starting running again between the Pleasure Beach and the North Pier.

The tramway had been closed since November, as part of a £100m redevelopment of the service.

More information on the BBC website HERE.

Ensignbus sell City Sightseeing Ltd

Information from Phil G. On website 21 April 2011.

Informationrom Route One Live:

Ensignbus has sold 100% of its share capital in City Sightseeing Ltd to City Sightseeing Worldwide SL of Spain, for an undisclosed amount.

City Sightseeing Worldwide is owned by Enrique Ybarra, co-founder and operator of all the City Sightseeing franchises in Spain, operating over 50 buses and carrying over three million passengers per year in 10 locations. The original operation in Seville was the very first City Sightseeing branded location anywhere in the world.

Today City Sightseeing operates in 94 locations worldwide and will, in 2011 break the 100 city mark, making it the largest open top sightseeing business in the world.

Director of Sales and Marketing, Mandy Gaughan and the UK based staff have all transferred with the deal, whilst Ensignbus has retained its City Sightseeing Sydney operation, its interest in City Sightseeing Italy and increased its share holding in the City Sightseeing Washington DC operation.

Peter Newman Chairman of Ensign Bus says: “It is time for new people with fresh and innovative ideas to take it even further and cement its position as the number one sightseeing brand. It is very fitting that our first partner, Enrique Ybarra and his team are now taking over the reins and we truly wish them all the success in the world.”

Find out more about Route One Live HERE.

London cable car for the Olympics

Information from Tony Wilson. On website 19 April 2011.

Construction of a cable car link across the Thames is to begin this summer, Transport for London announced today.

The £50.5million scheme will connect the Greenwich Peninsula and the 02 arena to the Royal Victoria Docks and the ExCeL centre.

Up to 2,500 people an hour will be able to make the 1,200-yard, five-minute journey across the river in one of 34 gondola cabins.

More information on the Evening Standard website HERE.

Stagecoach to be taken over?

Information from Tony Wilson. On website 16 April 2011.

Green lights flashed at Stagecoach as punters stepped on the gas after hearing revived talk of a £2.3bn or 320p a share cash bid from Singapore's ComfortDelGro, the world's second largest transport group.

More information on the This is Money website HERE.

A more cautious report appeared in the Independent HERE.

First to sell King's Lynn operations

Information from Tony Wilson. On website 16 April 2011.

Live News from routeONE reports:

First to sell King’s Lynn operation to Norfolk Green

First East England Buses is to sell its King’s Lynn bus operation to Norfolk Green, which is based in the town.

While the drivers will transfer to Norfolk Green, surplus vehicles will be redeployed within the region. First will continue to have an operating centre within King’s Lynn to support its flagship X1 service, from Peterborough through Kings Lynn, Norwich, Great Yarmouth and to Lowestoft.

In a statement First said it “continuously reviews the performance and the prospects for future development of its businesses within their local markets.”

First says it “has also taken into consideration the impact of cuts in public funding” and “reduction in the amount of money provided by local authorities for concessionary passholders and for socially necessary bus services.”

First’s strategy is to focus on delivering further improvements to its X1 service. First believes that the town services more closely match the business objectives and plans of the local operator Norfolk Green

Lodekker to return to UK

Information from David Gambles. On website 15 April 2011.

The North East Bus Preservation Trust has stepped in to rescue an ex United Lodekka which has been discovered in Ghent.

More information on the Scarborough Evening News website HERE.

THN 263F (L263) was new to United in 1968.

Free rail travel on a special day . . . if your name fits!

Information from Tony Wilson. On website 14 April 2011.

Free Rail travel for all Catherines, Kates & Williams on Chiltern Railways on Royal Wedding Day.

More information on the Chiltern Railways website HERE.

Air France Airbus clips Comair Jet

Information from David Gambles. On website 14 April 2011.

An Air France Airbus has clipped the tail of a commuter plane while taxiing at New York's John F Kennedy Airport.

More information on the BBC website HERE.

Derbyshire cuts

Information from Colin Sellers. On website 12 April 2011.

Information on the Derbyshire County Council transport cuts may be found in the Derbyshire Times HERE.

A list of the withdrawn or modified services may be found (in PDF format) HERE.

The notice (right) was noted in a Hulley's bus on 11 April 2011.

Routemaster blown up

Information from David Gambles. On website 12 April 2011.

Despite the Telegraph page being recent, Phil G points out that this story is over 3 years old! Nonetheless, it's an interesting read. Webmaster

Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has caused outrage after blowing up a classic Routemaster bus worth £20,000 on his show.

More information on the Telegraph website HERE.

Battery powered Solos for Nottingham

Information from Notts Derby. On website 7 April.

Nottingham City Council has placed an order with Optare for eight of its Solo EV battery-powered buses as part of a £1.7 million project that includes a £760,000 contribution from the Government’s Green Bus Fund.

More information on the Optare website HERE.

Bus shelters - the next generation?

Information from Phil G. On website 7 April 2011.

More information on the Colle website HERE.

Virgin Atlantic launch Airbus A330

Information from David Gambles. On website 4 April 2011.

On Saturday 2nd April Virgin Atlantic launched the first of its new Airbus A330 fleet with an inaugural flight from Manchester Airport to Orlando. It is one of 10 planes worth US$2.2bn (£1.4bn) being delivered over the next two years.

More information on the BBC website HERE.

King Back on Track

Information from David Gambles. On website 4 April.

This weekend ex Great Western Collet 4-6-0 locomotive 6023 King Edward II is being shown to the public at Didcot Railway centre for the first time since its twenty year plus restoration.

The launch was scheduled to be performed at 1pm on Saturday 2nd April by Steve Davies MBE, Director of the National Railway Museum, York. A visiting railtour hauled by two GWR engines is also scheduled to arrive at Didcot- ‘The Coronation Express’ double headed by 4965 Rood Ashton Hall and 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe.

6023 will also be running at Didcot on Sunday 3 April, and during the Easter and May Day bank holiday weekends.

The King has been given an original style single chimney as it would have had when new and various cab roof modifications have been carried out to allow the engine to work within safe clearance heights on Network Rail tracks. In a surprise move the King class loco has been painted in early British Railways blue livery and not in the green livery latterly carried by this class of loco. It will retain this blue livery until autumn 2012 when it will then be painted in 1940's Great Western Green.

More information on the Didcot railway website HERE and the 6023 website HERE.

Photographs on Flickr HERE.

Smart cards for Go North East

Information from David Gambles submitted on 1 April 2011. On website 2 April.

From today, Friday 1st April, Go North East have placed their smartcard readers into operation. Passengers are now required to place their concessionary passes on the card reader before the driver can issue a ticket and today, the first day of operation, most passengers were needing some advice (and patience) from the bus drivers. The card readers are separate from the ticket machines and are mounted just to the left of the driver's cab area. I travelled on two Go North East vehicles and on the the first one, a Saltwell Park liveried Optare Versa, the driver was issuing tickets as normal with no request for the card reader to be used. On the second journey on route 74 Newcastle to Hexham the card reader was in operation and a few passengers struggled initially to get the reader to work but eventually the correct tickets were issued.

Stagecoach North East fitted their vehicles with new ticket machines during 2010 but so far haven't moved over to using the smartcard technology.

Transport for 'Lambing Live'

Information from Tony Wilson. First published on website 2 April 2011.

Tails (Tales) of Tigers and of Lambs

It has been noted in TV listing magazines that the forthcoming BBC TV "Lambing Live" programme will be televised Monday to Friday next week (4-9th April). This year it comes from a farm within sight and a hair's breadth (or maybe even a Hare's breath), of the Settle & Carlisle railway line. With a crew of 60-odd production personnel who are staying at various locations around the area, one of our sponsors, Cumbria Classic Coaches, have been awarded the contract to provide transport from their base at Ravenstonedale. As a result they have on loan a modern coach and a 16-seater midibus, but who knows the odd rare Tiger might prowl its way into camera view.

Buses aside though, this gives me an opportunity to share a few steam gems from the nearby S&C Line over the passed couple of years along with a couple of regulars.

For more on Cumbria Classic Coaches on this website CLICK