Tram operator given 17 days for urgent repairs

A tram operator has been ordered to carry out urgent repairs within 17 days, after safety concerns were raised by the rail watchdog.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said there was a risk of "derailment or collision" of Blackpool's trams, linked to worn components known as bogies. It said the repairs had to be carried out by 19 June.

Blackpool Transport said safety had always been its top priority and it had already made improvements.

It noted the regulator had pointed out "shortcomings" in the tram operator's "documentation".

A notice by an ORR inspector to Blackpool Transport said it had "failed to take, so far as is reasonably practicable, appropriate measures to control and mitigate known risks... which could give rise to derailment or collision".

The inspector added that the operator was required to "remedy those said contraventions" by 19 June.

In response, Blackpool Transport said it had worked closely with the ORR and had "already made improvements to our maintenance reporting processes".

A spokesperson said while the improvement notice "identified shortcomings in documentation... safety has always been our top priority, with appropriate measures put into place to address any potential risks".

"We will also continue to work... to ensure trams remain one of the safest forms of public transport," they added.

The fleet of Bombardier Flexity 2 trams have been in operation since 2012.

Manufacturer Alstom said it was "not aware of any specific risks", but the parts in question were "subject to continuous wear, stress and environmental exposure, and must be maintained within strict intervals to preserve safety and reliability".

It added that other customers, such as Nottingham Express Transist, received servicing and maintenance from Alstom, but "Blackpool Transport does theirs in-house".

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