Southend-on-Sea Corporation Tramways
| Locale | England |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | 1901–1942 |
| Track gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) |
| Length | 9.22 miles (14.84 km) |
| Headquarters | Southend-on-Sea |
Southend-on-Sea Corporation Tramways served the town of Southend-on-Sea in Essex from 19 July 1901 until 8 April 1942.[1]
Infrastructure
The system had its hub at Victoria Circus, with a small loop around Southchurch Road, Chichester Road, Warrior Square and the High Street. From this hub the routes were:
- opened July 1901 - along Victoria Avenue, West Street, North Road, London Road returning to Victoria Circus. In 1912 most of the North Road section was closed, leaving a terminus just off West Street at grid reference TQ 87461 86589.[1]
- opened July 1901 - along Southchurch Road, Southchurch Avenue to the esplanade.[1]
- opened August 1901 - along London Road, Leigh Road and Broadway to a terminus in Leigh-on-Sea at grid reference TQ 84178 85852 adjacent to St Clements Church.[1]
- opened August 1908 - extension along the esplanade to The Halfway House.[1]
- opened February 1912 - extension along the esplanade to Thorpe Bay.[1]
- opened July 1913 - along Southchurch Road, Southchurch Boulevard to Bournes Green.[1]
- opened July 1914 - extension from Bournes Green to Thorpe Bay to complete the loop.[1]
- opened 1914 - spur from the esplanade onto the newly rebuilt Corporation Loading Pier at grid reference TQ 89368 84741.[1]
The depot was on London Road at grid reference TQ 87698 86027, which is now the site of the London Road Retail Park.
Tramcars
The fleet, in a livery of cream and green, consisted of:
- 65 double deck tramcars.[1]
- 6 single deck tramcars.
Closure
Trolleybuses were introduced in 1928, and motorbuses in 1932. Section by section these two newer transport types replaced the tram network, superseding it completely when the tramway system finally closed in 1942.[1]
References
External links
- Southend-on-Sea Corporation Tramways on the British Tramway Company Badges and Buttons website
- Southend-on-Sea Corporation Tramways ticket
See also
List of town tramway systems in the United Kingdom
Coordinates: 51°32′24″N 0°42′43″E / 51.5401°N 0.7119°E