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= BLACKPOOL TRAMWAY UPDATED ARTICLE =

The Blackpool Tramway runs from Blackpool to Fleetwood on The Fylde in Lancashire, England. The line dates back to 1885 and is one of the oldest electric tramways in the world. It is operated by Blackpool Transport Services (BTS) and runs for 18 km. It carried 4.9 million passengers in 2022/23.

North Station Extension (2024)
An extension of the tramway along Talbot Road to Blackpool North railway station opened on 12 June 2024 following several delays. The new line connected to the Promenade line at Talboat Square, increasing the tramway's routes to three total with a new service from each of the existing termini to the station.

Enabling for the extension began on 6 November 2017, with the demolition of a homeware store in September 2020 to make way for the terminus and testing beginning on 16 March 2022. A new tram terminal was provided as part of the project, with an underpass providing access to the rail network.

Future developments
There have been several proposals for further extensions of the tramway, most notably along the South Fylde Line (to Lytham St Annes) and the Fleetwood Branch Line (to Poulton-le-Fylde). Blackpool Council, Fylde Council and Wyre Council have each applied for £800,000 in order to pursue a feasibility study which would investigate a "Tram Loop" proposal encompassing the two branch lines.

=Current network==



Routes
The tramway runs from Starr Gate in Blackpool in the south, to the Ferry Terminus in Fleetwood in the north, mostly along the Fylde Coast sea front, turning inland at Cleveleys for the last few miles before ending at the coast in Fleetwood. There is a spur in Blackpool Town Centre to link to a terminus at Blackpool North Railway Station. Some services, especially in busy periods such as during Blackpool Illuminations or on bank holidays, start or terminate short at Cleveleys, Little Bispham, Bispham, or the Pleasure Beach to allow a more intensive service through the centre of Blackpool. During the Illuminations, decorated trams carry passengers on the promenade along the illuminated area, running from Pleasure Beach to Bispham.

There are four loops: at Starr Gate (although not generally used during service), opposite the Pleasure Beach, Little Bispham and Fleetwood, as well as links to Rigby Road Depot.

The Flexity 2 trams now operate the main services, with modified English Electric Balloon double-deck trams available if necessary.

A 'heritage service' provided by unmodified, traditional trams operates on select weekdays, weekends, bank holidays and summer months, as well as on tours during the illuminations. They stop only at special 'heritage stops' next to normal tram stops at Pleasure Beach, North Pier, Cabin, Bispham, Cleveleys and Fleetwood Ferry. Temporary 'heritage stops' are also used for the traditional trams during select special events, such as at Starr Gate.

Track
The route is made up of four different types of track:
 * Street running, open to all traffic – along Lord Street and North Albert Street in Fleetwood and along Talbot Road in Blackpool town centre to North Station. There is also a stretch in Blackpool from Rigby Road Depot to the Promenade along Hopton Road and Lytham Road used for trams entering and leaving service only. A short stretch on the Promenade in Blackpool behind the Metropole Hotel was previously in this form, but was converted to reserved track during the 2011/12 tramway upgrade.
 * Paved reserved track alongside a road, open to pedestrians but not road traffic – along most of the route between Starr Gate and Cabin.
 * Reserved ballasted track, open to trams only – from Cabin to Rossall and along Radcliffe Road in Fleetwood.
 * Interurban style, not following a road and open to trams only – from Rossall to Radcliffe Road, Fleetwood.