Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Trams on track
Summerlee smiles
Summerlee museum’s popular tramway has reopened fo l l owing essential work and with new procedures in place to help with social distancing and cleaning.
The industrial heritage attraction in Coatbridge welcomed back visitors last month, but the historic tram only carried its first passengers today.
All tickets are now valid for single journeys to and from the miners’ row, to allow for cleaning after each trip, while a limited number of people will be allowed on board to accommodate social distancing.
Passengers will need to wear face coverings, as on all public transport across Scotland, as well as sanitising their hands before climbing aboard.
Museum manager Lu Mcnair said: “We’re pleased to be operating the tramway at Summerlee again, and are following the current Covid-19 guidelines for heritage trams.
“This means visitors can enjoy the usual fun of a tram ride but with a few changes to keep everyone safe.”
Prices for tram tickets have been changed to reflect the new one-way journeys; they now cost £1 for adults and 50p for children for each trip, and can be purchased from the museum gift shop on arrival.
Admission to Summerlee remains free, but visitors are asked to book slots in advance at culturenl.co.uk, with the museum currently running reduced opening on five days per week, with two sessions per day. The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, with visitors able to attend from 10am to 12 noon, or 1pm to 3pm.
Summerlee operators Culture NL add: “The museum will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. We hope to gradually increase our hours but want to make sure that we keep staff and visitors safe while we get used to the new ways of working.”
Mine tours will remain closed, at least until later in the year, as they cannot “accommodate social distancing”, while interactive exhibitions are also shut for distancing and to “limit visitors’ contact with hard or shared surfaces”.
Announcing the plans, Culture NL said: “The number of visitors will be limited to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable day. Our team may temporarily restrict access to, or movement of, visitors around buildings and exhibitions to ensure everyone’s safety.”