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Warrington Corporation Tramways

Warrington Corporation Tramways
Warrington Tramway Map.svg
Diagram map of the Warrington tramway system
Locale England
Dates of operation 1902–1935
Successor Abandoned
Track gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)
Length 6.84 miles
Headquarters Warrington

Warrington Corporation Tramways was the owner and operator of an electric tramway system in the early 20th century serving the town of Warrington, at the time a county borough of Lancashire, England.

The town of Warrington was already well served by railways, canals and turnpike roads when in 1880, a private company approached Warrington Corporation about the possibility of laying a horse tramway within the town. After an investigation into existing horse tramways in operation in Bristol and Hull, the Corporation declined the offer, not wanting outsiders making a profit from the residents. It was not until the construction of a power generating station at Howley in 1900 that the Corporation was encouraged to apply to Parliament for powers to lay down and operate an electric tramway system along the five main arterial roads within the town boundary. This was granted as the Tramways Orders Confirmation (No. 4) Act 1900 (63 & 64 Vic. cap. cci) and construction began in 1901, with responsibility for the operation assumed by the Corporation's Electricity and Tramways Committee under the name of "Warrington Corporation Tramways".

The official Board of Trade inspection of the Latchford and Sankey Bridges branches was made by Lt. Col. P.G. von Donop R.E. on 17 April 1902. Despite a minor hiccup involving a broken trolley pole, permission was given for operations on the two lines to begin. The first tram left Rylands Street for Latchford at 7.40 a.m. on 21 April. Operation of the Sankey Bridges route did not start for another two days until enough trams were available for service, thus a through service between the two lines commenced on 23 April. Eight open-top double-deck trams built by G.F. Milnes & Co. of Birkenhead were purchased for the opening, with a further 13 arriving later in the year to operate the other three lines. The five routes operated were as follows:


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