Hucknall and Bulwell tram operator donation helps Tramway Village restore services

One of the country’s best-loved transport museums is preparing to relaunch services with a little help from Nottingham’s modern tram network.
By John Smith
Published 1st Jul 2022, 09:00 BST
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Engineers from Nottingham Express Transit (NET) – which runs the trams in Hucknall and Bulwell – stepped in to help when Crich Tramway Village was forced to suspend operations and shut down many of its attractions due to corrosion found on masts supporting overhead lines.

Now the vital infrastructure has been replaced with equipment donated by NET and the museum is all set to welcome back visitors ahead of the summer holidays.

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Glenn Oakes, NET infrastructure manager, and technical manager Phil Terry played a key role in delivering the help to the heritage tramway which is due to relaunch services this weekend.

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Pictured during tram testing ahead of the relaunch of services at Crich, with one of the new masts in the background, are (from left): Dr Mike Galer, Phil Terry, Graeme Wigglesworth, Trevor Stocker, Glenn OakesPictured during tram testing ahead of the relaunch of services at Crich, with one of the new masts in the background, are (from left): Dr Mike Galer, Phil Terry, Graeme Wigglesworth, Trevor Stocker, Glenn Oakes
Pictured during tram testing ahead of the relaunch of services at Crich, with one of the new masts in the background, are (from left): Dr Mike Galer, Phil Terry, Graeme Wigglesworth, Trevor Stocker, Glenn Oakes
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Trevor Stocker, NET head of operations, explained: “When they heard of the problems at Crich, they set to work looking for ways they could help.

"Fortunately, we had two surplus masts in our engineering stores, and they set about preparing them for transportation and installation at Crich.”

“This latest donation further strengthens our close links to Crich Tramway Village, and we are proud to support an organisation that’s doing fantastic work to preserve light rail’s rich heritage.”

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The Derbyshire attraction has not been able to open all facilities since May when an inspection by the Office of Rail and Road found that the poles outside the tram depot presented a safety risk and needed to be replaced.

Graeme Wigglesworth, engineering manager at Crich Tramway Village, commented: “This important repair work needed to be carried out before we could permit access to the affected areas to safeguard the public, our staff and volunteers.

"We are extremely grateful to NET for their support, and we’re pleased to say that the installation of the equipment has since been carried out efficiently by contractors Pod-Trak Limited and the overhead line is now in good working order.”

Thanks to the support of NET and the hard work of its own employees and volunteers, visitors to Crich can now look forward to a packed programme of summer activities and further details can be found here.

Related topics:Nottingham Express TransitBulwellNottinghamHucknallEngineers