Worcester Tramways Company
| Operation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locale | Worcester | ||||
| Open | 1881 | ||||
| Close | 31 October 1902 | ||||
| Status | Closed | ||||
| Infrastructure | |||||
| Track gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) | ||||
| Propulsion system(s) | Horse | ||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Route length | 3.5 miles (5.6 km) | ||||
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Worcester Tramways Company and its predecessors operated a horse-drawn tramway service in Worcester between 1881 and 1902.[1]
Tramways Trust Company
The Worcester Tramways Order of 1881 authorised the Tramways Trust Company to build a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge horse tramway. There was a depot at St Johns, Bull Ring and three branches on the 3.5 mile network:
- The Cross – St Johns
- City Centre – Foregate St – Barbourne – Ombersley Rd
- St Nicholas St – Shrub Hill station.
Services started in 1881 with single-horse single-deck tramcars. The Tramways Trust Company went into liquidation on 12 December 1885.[2]
Plans were approved by the Board of Trade in 1886 for extensions, but, presumably due to the financial state of the company, these were not constructed.
City of Worcester Tramways Company
The City of Worcester Tramways Company purchased the Worcester tramway from the liquidator in 1889,[3] but this new company was unable to improve the financial position and on 3 April 1894 the company was wound up.[4]
The Worcester Tramways Company took over the assets in 1894. There were more than 100 horses, nine tramcars and eleven horse buses.
Closure
In 1898 British Electric Traction gained control of the company. Plans were put in place for modernisation and electrification of the system. The Worcester Tramways Act of 1901 and the Worcester (Extension) Light Railway Order of 1902 gave the British Electric Traction subsidiary company, Worcester Electric Traction Company, authority to upgrade, extend and electrically operate a 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow gauge tramway.
On 31 October 1902 Worcester Electric Traction Company took over the Worcester Tramways Company, which was finally dissolved in 1906.
