Manchester Metrolink
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|---|---|
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| Overview | |
| Owner | GMPTE |
| Locale | Greater Manchester |
| Transit type | Electrified (750 V DC) tramway |
| Number of lines | 3 |
| Number of stations | 37 |
| Daily ridership | 52,000 (19 million annually) in 2004 |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | 1992 |
| Operator(s) | Stagecoach Group (since July 2007) |
| Technical | |
| System length | 23 miles (37 km) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) (standard gauge) |
Manchester Metrolink is an urban light-rail system in Greater Manchester, England. Services operate to Bury, Altrincham and Eccles on the Bury-Altrincham and Eccles lines. The system, including all stations and trams is owned by GMPTE and is operated under terms of a management contract by Stagecoach Group.
Later this year, work will start extending the Metrolink system to Chorlton, Droylsden, Oldham, Rochdale and Mediacity:uk. Further extensions to Oldham and Rochdale town centres, Ashton, Stockport, Trafford Centre and Manchester Airport are planned-subject to further funding. The proposed expansions will increase the system's total size from 23 miles (37 km) with 37 stops to 70 miles (113 km) with at least 115 stops.
History
For many years there had been plans to connect Manchester's two main railway stations, Piccadilly and Victoria. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there were plans for a Picc-Vic tunnel to carry main-line trains, but the proposal was abandoned because of excessive cost. By the late 1980s, the power equipment on the electrified suburban railway line from Victoria to Bury, which had a unique-in-Britain side-contact third-rail power supply, was in need of replacement, and it was decided, rather than replace the equipment on a like-for-like basis, to construct a light rail system that would connect the Victoria–Bury line via on-street lines with the line to Piccadilly and Altrincham. The Metrolink lines were formed by closing two electric train lines between Altrincham and Cornbrook Junction between Bury and Manchester Victoria. Because much of the Metrolink route was formerly main-line railway with platforms about 900 mm above ground level, the new stops in the city centre also have 900 mm-high platforms.
Formerly the Altrincham Line was a Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway line, it was electrified in 1931). Trains arriving at Altrincham from Knutsford, Northwich and Chester were diverted to Manchester via Stockport when Metrolink conversion began between Altrincham and G-Mex. This added at least 10 minutes to an already slow journey, causing a disadvantage to some Cheshire rail users. The Bury Line was electrified by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1916.
Authority to construct Phase 1 of Metrolink (Bury to Altrincham via city centre, with a spur to Piccadilly station) was granted in January 1988, with construction of the on-street section beginning in March 1990.
Steam locomotives returned briefly to the line between Manchester and Bury. In 1991, before the opening of the tram system, Metrolink held an open weekend at its new depot in Queens Road, Manchester. East Lancashire Railway steam locomotive, no. 32 Gothenburg, (now painted in blue as No. 1 Thomas the Tank Engine) ran light engine from the ELR to Manchester under the not yet live wires to attend the event. The engine returned on the Sunday evening. Diesel locomotive D2767 (a North British 0-4-0) was rented to Metrolink to assist in the construction of the overhead wires during the construction phase in 1991.
On 6 April 1992 Metrolink services between Bury and Victoria began. The central section between Victoria and G-Mex opened on 27 April and services between G-Mex and Altrincham began on 15 June. Trams started operating into Piccadilly on 20 July the same year, completing Phase 1 of the system.
Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the system on 17 July 1992. Conversion of the existing railway lines to Metrolink took far longer than had been planned. The Altrincham line was closed for 6 months, rather than one month as promised, with bus substitution during that period. Metrolink's own new trackwork in Manchester's city centre required reinstalling twice in the first years of operation, due to inadequate quality controls and poor design work, such as placing switches directly where the blades could be expected to be repeatedly crossed by buses.
On 25 April 1997 work began on Phase 2, an extension from Cornbrook, on the Altrincham line, through Salford Quays to Eccles. Service started as far as Broadway on 6 December 1999 and to Eccles on 21 July 2000. The whole line was officially opened on 9 January 2001.
There have been a few modifications to the system since the opening of Phase I in 1992.
- The original Market Street stop only handled trams to Bury, with High Street handling trams from Bury. When Market Street was closed to road traffic these stops were replaced by a new platform stop in the centre of Market Street, which could handle trams in both directions. This stop opened on 10 August 1998.
- Crossover points were installed in the section approaching Piccadilly Station in order to allow inbound trams to access either platform without having first to proceed to the buffer stops at the far end of the undercroft area; this in order to facilitate quicker tram turnaround times. However, this mode of operation seems to have been discontinued in recent years.
- Shudehill interchange between Victoria station and Market Street opened in April 2003. The bus station complementing it opened on 29 January 2006.
- Cornbrook station on the Altrincham line was opened to provide an interchange with the new line to Eccles. There was initially no official public access to this station from the street, but this changed on 3 September 2005 when the original fire exit was opened as a public access route.
- On 15 July 2007 Stagecoach took over as the Metrolink operator from Serco. Unlike Serco, Stagecoach do not own the concession, merely operate it on a fixed-term management contract.
Due to the age and condition of most of the track on the Bury and Altrincham routes it was decided that the mostly 1960s trackwork was to be relaid. This construction work included improvements to stations along the lines. In 2007, EWS was contracted to provide 3 Class 08 diesel shunters to assist in the relaying of the track for Metrolink between Manchester and Bury, using the original connection to the old Bury depot, now part of the East Lancashire Railway.
The renewals commenced on 29 May 2007 with the cessation of services between Bury and Whitefield. By 22 June services on the Bury line terminated at Crumpsall. By 23 July there was no service on the Bury line as all northbound Metrolink trams in public use terminated at Victoria. The Bury Line re-opened on 13 September that same year. With the possible exception of the section between Stretford and Dane Road, the Altrincham line track was not as worn as that on the Bury line and so not as much work was required. From 2 July various sections of the line were shut down and serviced with a replacement bus service. The Altrincham Line re-opened on 28 August 2007. Since the track renewals the ride is much smoother and quieter than before.
Planning permission was granted in October 2007 for a 400-metre long extension from a point between Harbour City and Broadway to the central plaza of the new Mediacity:uk development in Salford Quays.[1]
Routes and stations
Metrolink's Monday-Saturday service:
- Piccadilly station – Altrincham
- Piccadilly station – Bury
- Piccadilly station – Eccles
- Altrincham – Bury (Daytime only) (not via Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly station)
Metrolink's Sunday & Bank Holiday service:
- Piccadilly station – Altrincham
- Piccadilly station – Bury
- Piccadilly station – Eccles
The direct Altrincham-Bury (avoiding Piccadilly) service does not operate on Sundays. Passengers are required to change at Piccadilly Gardens. Frequency on each service is every 12 minutes, but the interleaving of the Altrincham – Bury direct service with the services to Piccadilly Station mean that for much of the route there are two trams every 12 minutes, usually three and nine minutes apart. Between Cornbrook and St Peter’s Square, with three services (Altrincham-Bury, Altrincham-Piccadilly and Eccles-Piccadilly) running every 12 minutes, the frequency is increased even more.
The current route length is:
| Phase 1 | |
|---|---|
| Bury – Victoria | 9.9 miles (15.9 km) |
| Victoria – G-Mex | 1.9 miles (3.1 km) |
| Spur to Piccadilly station | 0.4 miles (0.6 km) |
| G-Mex – Altrincham | 6.5 miles (10.5 km) |
| Phase 2 | |
| Cornbrook – Broadway | 1.9 miles (3.1 km) |
| Broadway – Eccles | 2.2 miles (3.5 km) |
Passenger rail interchanges are situated along the Metrolink route. These include Piccadilly, Victoria station, G-Mex for Deansgate, Altrincham, Navigation Road and Eccles. Major bus interchanges are also situated at Bury, Victoria, Shudehill, Piccadilly Gardens, Altrincham and Eccles Metrolink Stations. As of December 2007 there are 37 Metrolink stops: 17 former British Rail stations on the Phase 1 lines to Altrincham and Bury, 17 newly-build stops on the Phase 1 lines in the city centre and on the Phase 2 line to Eccles, and 3 shared mainline stations (Altrincham, Piccadilly and Victoria).
The Metrolink depot is located south of Queen’s Road (Cheetham Hill, M8) on the western side of the Bury line, between Victoria and Woodlands Road stops. The depot connections face Bury. There is a staff halt, Queens Road, serving the depot [2]. This facility will not be able to handle the expanded network, therefore GMPTE have obtained the site for a second depot, near Old Trafford stop.[3]
| Bury Line | Altrincham Line | Eccles Line |
|---|---|---|
(*)=planned, not built yet |
The Navigation Road to Altrincham section is single track. |
Fares and usage
Fares are charged depending on the number of fare zones travelled through, and whether travel is in the peak period - before 09:30 on a weekday, except on public holidays.
Tickets are purchased from machines at each stop. Single journeys must be completed within 90 minutes, return journeys the same day. It is also possible to purchase tickets from the machines for travel all day, for groups, or all weekend. Some ticket machines accept only coins; the others will also accept banknotes, and give a maximum of £7 in change. Train users travelling into the city centre from stations in Greater Manchester are able to use the Metrolink in the central zone for free. These train tickets can be used between Victoria, Shudehill, Market Street, Piccadilly Gardens, Piccadilly, Mosley Street, St Peter's Square and G-Mex. [4]
All Metrolink tickets must be purchased before travel. A "standard fare" of up to £80 is charged for travelling without a ticket[1]. Metrolink is policed by the Greater Manchester Police including Police Community Support Officers. An initiative by Greater Manchester Police, which saw around 15 officers routinely patrolling the tram network, was stopped due to lack of funds. On-board ticket checks are done by Carlisle Security on behalf of the GMPTE.
Metrolink carried 18.8 million passengers in 2004, compared to 7.5 million who used the Bury and Altrincham rail services before Metrolink. According to Metrolink sources, at least two million fewer car journeys have been made each year along the tram route. Metrolink has become something of a victim of its own popularity. Many services are extremely busy, especially at peak times at the city centre stations, and fares have risen at a rate far above that of inflation. In the first two years of Metrolink operation, peak hour patronage was well below expected levels, but off-peak patronage exceeded expectations. Metrolink reacted by reducing peak fares which improved loadings.
Vehicles
As of December 2007 the Metrolink fleet consists of 26 T-68 light-rail vehicles (LRV) numbered in the 1000 series, and six T68a vehicles built for the Eccles extension and numbered in the 2000 series. Both types were supplied by Ansaldobreda, the former in 1991 and the latter in 1999. The LRVs are articulated in the centre and normally operate singly, except during the rush hours when there are a few double trams along the Bury–Altrincham route. Three 1000-series trams (1005, 1010, and 1015) and all 2000-series trams are modified for use on the Eccles line, which involves large amounts of street running, with retractable and covered couplers and covered bogies.
In April 2007, eight new trams were ordered for the Metrolink. These Flexity Swift high-floor trams will be similar to the K5000 series currently employed in the German cities of Cologne and Bonn, and similar to the low-floor models already used by London’s Tramlink. When delivered in 2009 these 8 new trams will enable all the Bury - Altrincham direct services to operate as double trams, significantly increasing capacity. A further 4 trams of the same type have now been ordered by the GMPTE to allow for a new 12-minute service between Cornbrook and the new Mediacity:uk extension in Salford Quays. [5]
The trams are bi-directional with cabs at both ends and doors on both sides, 30 m long and consist of two carriages, joined by an articulated section in the middle, with four doors per side.[6] The front and rear bogies are powered, with two 750V, 105kW motors per bogie. The third bogie, located under the articulated part, is not powered. The maximum speed is 50 miles per hour (80 km/h), with 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) allowed for street running. There are 83 seats per vehicle (plus 4 folding seats) and the nominal capacity is 200 passengers (250 maximum). Trams normally run singly, with two-unit services commonplace at peak times. Up to four units can be operated by one driver but capacity at central and Eccles line stations only allows for a double-unit. Although non-central stations on the Bury and Altrincham lines can allow for a triple or quadruple unit tram, the platform's public area is currently shorter than it's full length.
Twenty-three of the trams have name plates, named after famous Mancunian people, achievements or places.
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Future
Template:Future uk public transportation
The initial Metrolink network was formed of two converted railway lines, linked across the city centre (Phase 1). Since opening in 1992, one extension has been completed to the Salford town of Eccles via Salford Quays (Phase 2). Metrolink Phase 3, also known as the Big Bang, is an ambitious expansion programme which will see trams running to Oldham, Rochdale, Ashton-under-Lyne, Wythenshawe and Manchester Airport.
Phase 3a
Phase 3 has now been split into two sections. Phase 3a will involve taking over the main line railway to Oldham and Rochdale station, as well as extensions to Droylsden and to St Werburgh's Road in Chorlton-cum-Hardy. In December 2004 the government announced that £520 million would be authorised for Phase 3. A first stage of Phase 3 was given the go ahead by the Department for Transport in July 2006, with a £300m funding gap expected to be met by a loan.
Environmental surveys began in April 2008[8] which will continue until the autumn. Several companies have been short-listed to build the extensions[8] and one will be appointed in Spring 2008. The new lines are hoped to become operational in 2011/12.
Phase 3b
The second part of Phase 3, referred to as Phase 3b, will take the 3a lines into Oldham and Rochdale town centres, extend the 3a extension from Droylsden to Ashton-under-Lyne and extend the line from St Werburgh's Road to Didsbury and Manchester Airport.
Phase 3b forms part of Greater Manchester’s integrated transport strategy, which will recommend a package of transport investment and traffic management measures. In July 2007 GMPTE, along with AGMA submitted a bid to the Governments Transport Innovation Fund to secure the funding for this package which, if received, will guarantee the extensions to these destinations. The outcome of this bid for funding will be known in May 2008.
Further extensions are also planned, continuing from Didsbury to Stockport, Mediacity at Salford Quays and to the Trafford Centre. The Trafford Park line will continue on from Pomona viaduct on the Eccles line which has been built with the expansion in mind. The new line is expected to serve the Manchester United home ground at Old Trafford and Imperial War Museum North.
Concerns have been raised regarding the single route through the city centre which may become a bottleneck when new extensions are open - with six or seven services all running over the same track, questions have been raised about the possibility of a 'tram-jam'. The other issue is that the focus of the city centre is moving to quarters not currently served by Metrolink. GMPTE have reacted to this with an additional favoured line down Cross Street between GMex and Victoria. GMPTE say the line would also aid the city with additional tram stops, possibly around the Town Hall and Arndale Shopping Centre areas. It is also proposed that Bus Rapid Transit routes could be developed, linking the Metrolink service with parts of South Manchester, Bolton, Leigh and Salford that will not be reached by the Phase 3b extensions.
A bid for Transport Innovation Fund monies has been submitted; to include the second stage plus an additional city centre crossing and Bus Rapid Transit routes, and which would take the total cost of Phase 3 to an estimated £1.2 billion, with a road charging scheme included to cover some of the cost.[9] The network including all the proposed expansions will increase in size from 23 miles (37 km) with 37 stops to 70 miles (113 km) with at least 115 stops.
| Project | Length | New trams required |
|---|---|---|
| Extension spur from Harbour City to Mediacity funded jointly by Peel Holdings and North West Development Agency, service to run between Cornbrook and Mediacity every 12 minutes | 0.25 miles (0.4 km) | 4 |
| Additional route across Manchester city centre between Central and Victoria | 1 mile (1.6 km) | N/A |
| Conversion of existing railway from Victoria to Oldham and Rochdale (plus some street running) | 14.9 miles (24.0 km) | 22 |
| Extension to Manchester Airport | 13 miles (20.9 km) | 26 |
| Extension to Ashton-under-Lyne | 6.2 miles (10.0 km) | 9 |
| Extension to East Didsbury (optional, with possible further extension to Stockport) | 8.7 miles (14.0 km) | 9 |
| Extension to the Trafford Centre shopping centre, which will stop at Old Trafford Football Ground, Imperial War Museum for the North and Trafford Park subject to private-sector funding | 4.3 miles (6.9 km) | Not Yet Known |
| Completion of Manchester Airport loop subject to private sector funding | 4 miles (6.4 km) | Not Yet Known |
Criticism
 |
Metrolink attracted significant negative publicity in its early days. Delays in construction, closures for rebuilding defective trackwork and lack of thought in ticketing and information systems all attracted criticism. Politically, the system was deemed to be an immediate success, though the tax burden on Greater Manchester's ratepayers increased notably, since Metrolink attracted subsidies the previous trains had not.
Many initial problems have been addressed, but passenger information remains a major failing. Most stations do not have live passenger information screens, so most passengers do not know when the next tram is due. On the other hand, it must be noted that when exceptional disruption or delays occur, a Public Address system is used which has speakers at all Metrolink stations.
When the Altrincham and Bury lines were part of the national rail network, through ticketing from current Metrolink stations to anywhere in Great Britain was possible. Currently tickets from Metrolink ticket machines only allow journeys to stations within Greater Manchester and the immediate surrounding area. This could lead to more expensive rail journeys as passengers setting out from a Metrolink station must buy one Metrolink ticket and one National Rail ticket. It must be noted that when ending a journey at a Metrolink station through ticketing is possible as Rail tickets from anywhere in Great Britain can be bought with any Metrolink station as a final destination.
One of the criticisms levelled at Metrolink is that it does not reach the Trafford Centre, other than via a shuttle bus from Stretford Metrolink stop. Journeys on this service are not covered by the MetroMax ticket that allows travel through the rest of the network. On the Eccles line journeys take longer on Metrolink than on an equivalent bus journey which follows a more direct route (not via Salford Quays). This is despite buses not being able to use the dedicated off-street infrastructure that Metrolink trams use.
References
- ^ Williams, Tony (21 November 2007). "21 November 2007: Mediacity:UK and Enhanced Salford Quays Service". Light Rail Transit Association. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Bury line description". Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ "New Metrolink depot". Retrieved 2007-12-20.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ "Free tram rides for Greater Manchester's train passengers". GMPTE.
- ^ "Mediacity:UK and Enhanced Salford Quays Service". Light Rail Transit Association.
- ^ "T68 and T68a LRV's: manufacturer's data sheet" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-01-04.
- ^ 'Trams except 1018' List of Trams at British Trams Online
- ^ a b "Environmental experts inspect new Metrolink routes". Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive. 2008-04-02. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
- ^ 'Metrolink wins a "Little Bang"', article in the Manchester Evening News
- Holt, D., (1992), Manchester Metrolink, UK Light Rail Systems No. 1, Platform 5 Publishing, ISBN 1-872524-36-2
See also
External links
- Metrolink Information page and Metrolink Development page from GMPTE
- Metrolink website
- Metrolink route map (69KB PDF file)
- Transport Briefing Latest Metrolink developments, including news of Phase 3 expansion approved in July 2006
- TheTrams.co.uk Photographs of Metrolink trams.
- Collection of Google Earth locations of Metrolink stations (Requires Google Earth software) from the Google Earth Community forum.
- Manchester Metrolink, Tony Williams, Manchester Area Officer, Light Rail Transit Association
- Picc-Vic, Full history of SELNEC Manchester Urban Rapid Transit Plans
- Metrolink Virtual, Virtual Manchester Metrolink route project for MSTS
- Flash Movie of the new Alstom Metrolink Tram from Luminova.net
- Flash Picture of the new Alstom Metrolink Tram from Luminova.net
- Schematic Map of the new Metrolink Network (100 Kb PDF file)
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