New museum 'last chance' to save Blackpool's trams

Volunteer Paul Galley said the museum would build a business case for the future of trams

Campaigners have urged people to get behind a new visitor attraction as part of a "last chance" bid to help save a town's fleet of heritage trams.

A workshop in Blackpool has been repurposed by volunteers to house the historical vehicles and is set to open later this month as the Tramtown exhibition centre.

It is part of a heritage project aimed at securing the future of the tram service which was suspended by council-owned Blackpool Transport in December due to safety fears.

Tramtown volunteer and Blackpool councillor Paul Galley said the vehicles were "fundamental to the DNA of Blackpool".

Mr Galley said it was hoped opening the exhibition centre would help support a bid for grant funding of up to £5m from the National Lottery.

The trams in Blackpool have been out of action since December

Workshops at Blackpool Transport's Rigby Road have been re-purposed to become the Tramtown centre as other parts of the depot needed roof repairs, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Volunteers have spent the last few weeks smartening up the centre with paint, new lights and a shop in time to welcome the public back from Good Friday.

Volunteers have been working to spruce up the centre ahead of opening time

Mr Galley said: "This is the last chance to save these heritage trams and if it doesn't work we will lose them as there will be nowhere to store them.

"It's about protecting them and in time being able to recruit new engineers to maintain them."

Jane Cole, managing director of Blackpool Transport, previously said the aim was to restore the heritage trams later this year.

But she said there were "a number of complex operational issues that need to be addressed" before they could take to tracks once again.