BEHIND SCENES AT SEATON TRAMWAY STATION
EXCLUSIVE SEATON TRAMWAY TOUR
An exclusive tour around a brand new £3m tram station in South Devon has been given to thetraveltrunk.
The Seaton Tramway team allowed me to tour the new facility that will be another key tourism attraction for the town of Seaton.
Seaton now has world class purpose built top heritage tram attraction.
Only the year before last the Seaton Jurassic was opened nearby. And, with this second tourist development the tramway has an excellent chance to push towards and maybe through the 100,000 visitors per year barrier. They are currently getting just over 80,000 at the moment.
Exclusive view of the brand new tram station.
With the major building work now completed station complex is being fitted out whilst the freshly laid tracks and automatic points systems. These are being tested and adjusted ready for the opening on June 28th.
Almost on the home straight in terms of the project the new building is being assessed with staff having to run every tram into every platform making sure that all of their 15 trams can use any position in the new station building safely.
The imposing and modern terminus although it looks new. Its like it has been in situ for much longer. With mature planting and trees surrounding it making it appear very much at home. Replacing what was there before. A tram stop loop with just a small ticket cabin.
A perfect platform view in the new station building.
Although the new building can house up to four trams side by side. The station will also be used as local community space and for town, commercial and private events.
Four platforms in the brand new station complex.
Tramway Is Now A More Complete Package
Housing a shop, café and ticket office, also customer toilets. The whole complex is accessible by all types of users. Some of the trams have also been converted to carry wheelchairs and it’s also a dog friendly facility.
New information boards to help improve the passenger experience.
Large TV style information screens are about to be installed. Which will give customers the latest live situation about the service at each platform. Plus they will have individual information boards telling clients which tram will be running. Plus, even some history about the tram they are about to board at the one of four platforms.
The exterior walls are part covered with former used wooden railway sleepers keeping the history of the tramway as a part of the new building.
Old railway sleepers now help to cover some of the walls of the new station building.
Located as it is just behind the main seafront. It is nearly the most prominent building apart from the supermarket nearby. Putting it in a prime location to bring in any visitors heading to the World Heritage Jurassic Coast resort.
Once the new station opens the former tram depot located about half a mile away will stop running behind the scenes tours in the short term.
The old depot had very popular tours.
However, these extremely popular tours are expected be back in 2019 once the new station operation is running smoothly and staffing numbers and demand allow the tours to start up again.
The Tram Collection Is A Big Draw For The Town
All the other services and rides currently being run will continue but all from the spick and span brand new Seaton Tramway Station.
A wide selection of trams from 1902 to the 1950’s are in use at Seaton.
Marketing Manager Josh said “The new station will provide a huge new draw for us. Offering 300 square metres of space for events. Also Claude’s the new café named after our founder Claude Lane. plus a souvenir shop and a modern ticket office”.
“Throughout much of the year the tramway offers a series of specialty family oriented attractions such as pirate trams, fairy trams.and even science trams. Plus, also our award winning The Polar Express ™ tram rides around Christmas have proved a great draw with over 6,000 taking part last year”.
