Southport Pier Tram (POV)

The Southport Pier Tramway is a tramway in the English seaside resort of Southport. It runs the 3,600 feet (1,100 m) length of Southport Pier, providing public passenger transport to the pier head.
History
The first tramway on Southport Pier was a line for carrying baggage that opened in 1863. The line was upgraded to cable operation in 1865. The line was re-laid in 1893, and electrified in 1905. Southport Corporation took over operation in 1936, and rebuilt the tramway's rolling stock. The pier was closed during World War II and when it reopened the tram did not reopen with it. When it finally reopened in 1950, the line had moved to the side of the pier from its previous central position, the gauge had been changed from 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) to 1 ft 11 1⁄2 in (597 mm), and the line was now diesel operated with cars delivered by Severn Lamb.
The pier was closed for safety reasons in 1998, however the Southport Pier Trust had been formed in 1991 to campaign for the piers restoration and, by 1999, Sefton Council and the Pier Trust had raised funds to commence the restoration of the pier. The first phase of this restoration was completed in 2002 and included providing a new 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge tram track in the centre of a widened deck. On 1 August 2005 a new twin-section articulated, battery powered tram car started service on this track.
The tram car was manufactured by UK Loco Ltd. and offers a passenger capacity of 74 on the length of 21.8 m and the width of 2.4 m. It runs every day of the year except Christmas Day, and provides a half-hourly service in both directions. The operating hours vary depending on the time of year and day of the week