Tram Crash on the Broadstairs Line

This post has been updated with comments from Michael's Book Shop

On the 4th of April 1901 the Electric Tramways & Lighting Co. Ltd opened a new electric tram service which linked Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate.

The Ramsgate terminus was at the town's railway station which was at the junction of Margate Road and today's Station Approach Road. From here it ran along its own private track to Park Road then followed Grange Road, St Augustines Road, The Paragon and down Royal Parade to the Harbour. The route to Broadstairs took it up Madeira Walk, along Wellington Crescent, Plains of Waterloo, Belle Vue Road and then on a private track (now Dumpton Park Drive) to Broadstairs and on to Margate.

On the 3rd of August 1905, whilst descending Madeira Walk towards the Harbour car number 41 jumped the tracks, careered over the cliff and crashed some 30 feet below. Miraculously there were only a few passengers on board at the time and they all escaped unharmed, the driver being the only person to sustain injury.

Although tram accidents were rare, there was another accident prior to the Madeira Walk incident. On the 26th of May 1905 a tram no.47 jumped the tracks and crashed into Vyes Grocers at the junction of Belle Vue Road and Plains of Waterloo. The shop manager’s daughter, tram driver and conductor were all badly injured. This line was known as the "Loop Line" linking Broadstairs Town and Ramsgate Harbour.

The tram system finally gave way to buses which were introduced by East Kent Road Car Company in 1937. Much of the privately owned track later became public roads.