Accrington on Rails - The Tramways: A Complete History - Robert Kenyon

Known as ‘Ultra-Light Rail’ these cars are smaller and faster than their larger counterparts do not require all the overhead infrastructure. They do run along rails set into the surface of the road powered by energy stored in cells housed within the coaches. Although some councillors have dismissed the possibility as “living in dreamland”, others say that they should be exploring the possibility seriously as a way to ease congestion on the Darwen Blackburn Accrington corridor. Aimed at the ‘smaller towns market’ the estimated cost for installing a system is £500,000 per kilometre, which would cost much less than the maximum of £40million of government money that has been made available for the total package of improvements under the East Lancashire Rapid Transit scheme. The leader of Blackburn with Darwen ‘unitary’ Council, Mr Colin Rigby had said, “If it is affordable and viable and we can have additional funding then it could be a goer”. Other councillors still favour a network of bus lanes to enhance public transport to the point where it takes cars off the roads. 2017 During the early part of the year, the tramlines which had lain redundant in the sheds on Ellison Street since 1932 were lifted and the maintenance pits opened to reveal some hidden relics from the tramway era. -----------------------

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