UK Schemes

Edinburgh Trams

The Edinburgh tramway, currently under construction, will run for 19km from Edinburgh Airport to Newhaven via central Edinburgh, including a stretch on Princes Street.  The 23 stops on the route will be served by a fleet of 27 low-floor trams.

www.edinburghtrams.com

Tyne & Wear Metro

The first section of the Tyne & Wear Metro was opened in 1980, with the full initial extent of 55km complete in 1984. Today, following extensions to Newcastle Airport (1991) and Sunderland (2002) the system extends for 78km and serves North and South Tyneside, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Sunderland city centres and several rail interchanges. The 90 Metrocars do not run on street but on segregated routes throughout, with underground sections in urban areas and a length of shared running over Network Rail infrastructure on the Sunderland extension.

The system is operated by DB Regio Tyne & Wear.



www.nexus.org.uk/metro

Sheffield Supertram

The Sheffield Supertram system was completed in 1995 and consists of three lines covering 29km of route. The network links five park and ride sites, Sheffield city centre and railway station, the Meadowhall shopping centre and other university, residential and employment centres. Half of the route length is on street and a total of 25 trams serve 48 stops.

Sheffield Supertram is operated by Stagecoach.

www.supertram.com

Nottingham Express Transit

Nottingham Express Transit was opened in 2004. The system is 14km long and consists of a principal route from Hucknall to Nothingham Station Street, with a branch from Phoenix Park. NET links five park and ride sites with the city centre and main railway station, residential, leisure and employment locations, and has other rail interchanges at Bulwell and Hucknall. A fleet of 15 low-floor trams serve 23 stops and 4km of the route is on street.

NET is operated and maintained by the Nottingham Tram Consortium, comprising Nottingham City Transport and Transdev. Two extensions to the south, to Chilwell and Clifton, are in planned under Phase 2.

www.thetram.net

Midland Metro

The Midland Metro was opened in 1999. Sixteen tramcars run over 20km of route between Birmingham Snow Hill and Wolverhampton St Georges, principally using a former railway route with 2km of street running at the Wolverhampton end. A total of 23 stops service Bilston, Wednesbury, West Bromwich and Handsworth between the two city centres. Three direct rail interchanges provide connections with suburban trains. An on street extension from Snow Hill into through Birmingham city centre to New Street station is the most progressed of several proposed extensions.

Midland Metro is operated by Travel Metro, part of National Express Group.

www.travelmetro.co.uk

Metrolink

The Metrolink system in Greater Manchester currently covers 37km and serves 37 stops. Services commenced between Bury, Altrincham and Manchester Piccadilly in 1992 with a fleet of 32 trams connecting two former railway lines via a street-running section in Manchester city centre, and for the first time providing a rail link between that city’s Victoria and Piccadilly stations. An extension to Eccles via Salford opened in 2000. New trams are currently being delivered and an additional 32km of route with 27 new stops is under construction, bringing Metrolink trams to MediaCityUK, Droyslen/Ashton-under-Lyme, Chorlton/Didsbury, and Oldham/Rochdale.

Metrolink is operated by Stagecoach Metrolink.

www.metrolink.co.uk

Docklands Light Railway

The Docklands Light Railway was originally opened in 1987, running from Stratford and Tower Gateway to Island Gardens. Since then it has been extended serve Bank in the City of London (1991), Beckton (1994), Lewisham (1999), London City Airport (2005) and Woolwich Arsenal (2009). A further extension to Stratford International and the 2012 Olympic site is under construction. Over 100 automatic driverless vehicles are in service (compared to just 11 in 1987) over a current route length of 34km of segregated track. The network serves the City and Canary Wharf as well as suburbs of south-east and east London, crossing the River Thames in two locations.

The DLR is operated by Serco Docklands.

www.tfl.gov.uk/dlr

London Tramlink

The London Tramlink system connects central Croydon to Wimbledon, Beckenham Junction, Elmers End and New Addington. Total route length is 28km, operated as three lines on a mixture of street running and segregated sections, including former railway lines. There are 39 stops, including seven rail interchanges, served by a fleet of 24 trams. Croydon is served by a one-way loop around the town centre.

Tramlink is operated by Transport for London.

www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/1566.aspx

Read more: London Tramlink

Blackpool Tramway

The Blackpool Tramway runs from Fleetwood to Starr Gate via the Blackpool promenade.  It is the only ‘first generation’ tramway to survive in the UK, and in 1885 became the first electric tramway in the country.  A route of 18km survives.  The system will change dramatically when a fleet of 16 modern light rail vehicles are delivered and largely replace the ‘heritage’ fleet of single- and double-deck trams now in use.

The tramway is operated by Blackpool Borough Transport.

www.blackpooltransport.com