Warrington Corporation Tramways - Legacy

Legacy

Very few physical remains of the tramway infrastructure are left today, with the last remnants of the old depot on Lower Bank Street being demolished in 1981, the location today being the site of a JJB Sports superstore and fitness club. However, one of the original Milnes trams (Tram No. 2) managed to survive as a bowling green shelter in Cuddington until 1977, when it was saved for preservation by Alan Pritchard. After almost thirty years of storage, restoration began in 2004 by the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society, located at the Wirral Transport Museum.

The replacement bus services operated by the Corporation thrived, and were extended as the town grew, as well as being supplemented by new routes. The majority of bus services within the borough today are still provided by Warrington Borough Council (the successor to the Corporation) through Warrington Borough Transport (WBT), an arms length limited company wholly owned by the council. WBT celebrated 100 years of public transport operated by the council in 2002 with a recreation of the first tram service, and an open day at the depot featuring open-top bus tours along the original tramway routes.