£25m plan to bring trams back to city

A plan to restore trams to the city of Preston for the first time since 1935 at a cost of £25m are in progress.

Named the Guild Line, the scheme would link employment zones on the outskirts to the city centre.

Plans for the full network are expected to be submitted within the next few months, but Preston Trampower Ltd has already appointed Eric Wright Civil Engineering to build the network, starting with a pilot line on a former railway in Deepdale, which was approved in 2016.

The full service could be operational by 2019.

The Guild Line would have 12 stops at locations including Deepdale Shopping Park, Deepdale Stadium and the University of Central Lancashire.

Professor Lewis Lesley, technical director for Preston Trampower Ltd, said on the BBC News website: “We’ve all seen how the Manchester’s Metrolink has been instrumental in the growth of that city and I have no doubt that a Preston tram system can provide a huge shot in the arm for the city’s economy.”