Historic Scarborough cliff lift Central Tramway appoints new general manager ahead of 2023 season

Colin Powell was appointed to the senior role in January at the Central Tramway cliff lift in South Bay after moving to Scarborough with his wife and two young children from York.

“This really is a one of a kind opportunity that I could not miss out on. I am so excited to be joining an amazing business which is steeped in history, but still innovates and continues to grow while not losing its links to the past of the tramway,” he said.

The company’s previous general manager, Helen Galvin, became the first woman appointed to the role in the tramway’s 142-year history when she joined the business in September 2021.

During her tenure, the Tramway’s carriages were removed from Scarborough for the first time in January 2022 as part of a major £180,000 restoration project.

Mr Powell joins Central Tramway at a challenging time with the cost of living crisis impacting tourism and visitors to the area, but he is confident about the railway’s future.

He said: “As Scarborough continues to grow and evolve, the tramway offers a unique nostalgic experience as well as being a vital mode of transport for those wanting to travel into Scarborough town centre. The tramway has continued to develop and remains one of the key focal points along our South Bay.”

Perhaps even more excited about the new appointment is Mr Powell’s eight-year-old son Harrison.

“My son has been rail obsessed since he was a baby and is so excited at the idea of daddy driving the funicular. My wife and daughter are almost as excited, as every time we visited the coast the tramway was always one of the places we visited,” he added.

Amy Bartle, Director of Central Tramway, said: “We’re very happy to welcome Colin to the team at such an important time. We’ve invested in the infrastructure over recent years and feel confident that with his experience Colin is the right person to guide the business into the next chapter of its long history.”

Central Tramway will reopen seven days a week for the 2023 season from Saturday February 11.

Central Tramway Company’s History

The Tramway’s two 1970s carriages, which had not been refurbished for 50 years, were stripped down and fully rebuilt by experts in 2022 with new floors, ceilings, lights, seats and computer-controlled brakes fitted as the vehicles suffer badly from weather-related corrosion in their exposed cliffside location – as well as damage caused by seagull droppings.

Founded in 1881, the Central Tramway Company remains privately owned with the business investing more than £800,000 over the last 12 years on infrastructure improvements and advancements in technology. The project required 12 months of planning and lasted four months.

The cliff lift’s infrastructure dates back to the early 20th Century when the system was first converted from steam to electric power but has undergone surprisingly few technological upgrades since before World War Two.

It was electrified in 1920 and is relatively unchanged since it was first installed in the Victoria era with an almost-impeccable safety record over its operational history – one fatality in 1927.