Digging up town’s history with tram line discovery
WORKMEN unearthed some of Burton’s transport history in April 2002.
Contractors digging up the road in Waterloo Street found old tram lines which used to run along the street.
The find caused a stir among residents in the area.
Trams began operating in Burton in 1903. It came after the provision of a horse-drawn tramway system had been proposed on many occasions during the last years of the 19th century but it was turned down each time.
But an application by a group of businessmen to build a Burton to Ashby light railway prompted a decision by Burton Town Council in 1900 to set up the town’s own electric tram system.
Work began in 1902 and 10 months later the system was opened when the then mayor, Councillor A J Roberts, paid a penny for the first ride and the mayoress swung the handle which set the Burton Corporation car in motion on August 3, 1903.
There were three routes at first, King Edward Place to Ferry Street, Winshill church and Dover Road.
Later routes were opened to Branston Road, Calais Road, Shobnall Road and Stanton Road.
At its peak there were 24 trams providing a 10 to 15-minute service between 5.30am and 11.30pm.
The cars seated 20 passengers inside and 23 on the top deck. The service was extremely popular and carried four million passengers in 1904-5.
The trams produced a dramatic decrease in the use of horse-drawn buses.
Trams continued until they were superseded by motorised buses in May, 1924. The last tram ran in 1930.
The work in 2002 was carried out by Crown Cutting Services, on behalf of Staffordshire County Council. A spokesman for the authority at the time said it was carrying out signal improvement work and the tram lines would be removed where the work necessitated it.