| Spur to Piccadilly station |
Metrolink (also known as Manchester Metrolink) is a light railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system in Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centreManchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
and terminate in BuryBury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
, AltrinchamAltrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
, EcclesEccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
and Chorlton-cum-HardyChorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of the city of Manchester, England. It is known locally as Chorlton. It is situated about four miles southwest of Manchester city centre. Pronunciation varies: and are both common....
. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and operated under contract by RATP Group. Metrolink trams run on-street in Manchester city centre and Eccles, but most of the routes in the suburbs use former heavy rail lines and are therefore segregated from street traffic.
The tram system is currently undergoing major expansion with 4 new lines under construction by 2016, and further potential extensions to StockportStockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
and the Trafford CentreThe Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre and leisure complex situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, close to the Trafford Park industrial estate and approximately 5 miles from Manchester city centre. It is the highest valued shopping centre in the...
envisaged, with a "second city crossing" line planned in central Manchester (the "City Zone") to ease congestion. In 2008 work on new Metrolink lines began, beginning the extension of the system to ChorltonChorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of the city of Manchester, England. It is known locally as Chorlton. It is situated about four miles southwest of Manchester city centre. Pronunciation varies: and are both common....
, East Didsbury, Ashton-under-LyneAshton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
, OldhamOldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, RochdaleRochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
, SportcitySportcity Manchester is a sports district in the City of Manchester, and was used to host of the 2002 Commonwealth Games. It is located in east Manchester, less than a mile away from Manchester city centre and was developed on former industrial land including the site of Bradford Colliery.The...
, MediaCityUK and Manchester Airport. Services to MediaCityUK started in 2010, while services to Chorlton started in 2011.
Once completed, the extensions will increase the system's length from 37 to 97 km (23 to 60.3 mi) with at least 99 stops and on completion, Greater Manchester will have the largest tram network in the United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
with a daily ridership of approximately 190,000.
History
{{main|History of Manchester Metrolink}}
The need for a light rail system in Manchester was born out of a desire to link its two main railway stations, PiccadillyManchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
and VictoriaManchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
. In the late 1960s and early 1970s there were plans for a "Picc-Vic tunnelPicc-Vic was a proposed, and later cancelled, underground railway designed in the early 1970s with the purpose of connecting two major mainline railway terminals in central Manchester, England. The name Picc-Vic was a contraction of the two station names, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria...
" to carry main-line trains under the city centre, but this proposal was abandoned because of excessive cost.
Plans for a light rail system in Manchester were first drawn up in 1984, consisting of three lines radiating from the city centre with an estimated cost of £42.5 million. The plans were revised in 1987, and a trial using a prototype Docklands Light Railway train was carried out on a freight-only line.
Authority to begin construction was granted in January 1988. This involved closing the heavy rail lines from Bury to Victoria (which was electrified using a non-standard and life-expired system) and from Altrincham to Manchester Picadilly for conversion, and a new route through the city centre streets. The line opened between Bury and Victoria in April 1992; the full system was operational from July that year.
A second phase, which extended the network to EcclesEccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
, was opened to Salford QuaysSalford Quays is an area of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, near the end of the Manchester Ship Canal. Previously the site of Manchester Docks, it became one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom following the closure of the dockyards in...
(Broadway stop) in December 1999, and through to Eccles on 18 July 2000. The MediaCityUK spur, which is located on the Eccles line, opened in September 2010. The South Manchester line became the fourth new line to open on the Metrolink network, with trams running to ChorltonChorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of the city of Manchester, England. It is known locally as Chorlton. It is situated about four miles southwest of Manchester city centre. Pronunciation varies: and are both common....
on 7 July 2011.
Operator
{{see also|History of Manchester Metrolink}}
Metrolink is run as a public-private partnershipPublic–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
between Transport for Greater Manchester and private transport firms. Between 1992 and 2007 Metrolink was operated and maintained by Serco. From 2007 to 2011 it was operated and maintained by Stagecoach Metrolink—part of the Stagecoach GroupStagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
—under a 10-year fixed-term management contract, which was due to run until July 2017. RATP Group bought Stagecoach's Metrolink businesses on 1 August 2011, but Stagecoach's other British light rail system, Sheffield Supertram was not sold.
Routes, stations and depots
Routes
Monday to Saturday service:
- Bury
Bury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
– Altrincham - every 12 minutes (daytime only)
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
– BuryBury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
- every 12 minutes
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
– Altrincham - every 12 minutes
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
– EcclesEccles Interchange is an interchange comprising a single platform Manchester Metrolink station and a small bus station serving Eccles town centre.The interchange opened as part of the second stage of the Eccles extension in July 2000....
- every 12 minutes
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
– MediaCityUK - every 12 minutes (daytime only - evening journeys provided by Eccles services)
- Victoria
Manchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
– St Werburgh's Road - every 12 minutes
The combined Monday-Saturday daytime frequency on the Bury and Altrincham routes is every 6 minutes.
Sunday and Bank Holiday service:
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
– BuryBury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
- every 12 minutes 1000-1700, every 15 minutes at other times
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
– Altrincham - every 12 minutes 1000-1700, every 15 minutes at other times
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
– EcclesEccles Interchange is an interchange comprising a single platform Manchester Metrolink station and a small bus station serving Eccles town centre.The interchange opened as part of the second stage of the Eccles extension in July 2000....
via MediaCityUK - every 12 minutes 1000-1700, every 15 minutes at other times
- Victoria
Manchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
– St Werburgh's Road - every 12 minutes 0930-1730, every 15 minutes at other times
The current route length is:
| Phase 1 |
| Bury – Victoria |
{{convinfobox|15.9|km |
1}} |
| Victoria – Deansgate-Castlefield |
{{convinfobox|1.9|km |
1}} |
| Spur to Piccadilly station |
Metrolink (also known as Manchester Metrolink) is a light railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system in Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centreManchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
and terminate in BuryBury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
, AltrinchamAltrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
, EcclesEccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
and Chorlton-cum-HardyChorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of the city of Manchester, England. It is known locally as Chorlton. It is situated about four miles southwest of Manchester city centre. Pronunciation varies: and are both common....
. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and operated under contract by RATP Group. Metrolink trams run on-street in Manchester city centre and Eccles, but most of the routes in the suburbs use former heavy rail lines and are therefore segregated from street traffic.
The tram system is currently undergoing major expansion with 4 new lines under construction by 2016, and further potential extensions to StockportStockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
and the Trafford CentreThe Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre and leisure complex situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, close to the Trafford Park industrial estate and approximately 5 miles from Manchester city centre. It is the highest valued shopping centre in the...
envisaged, with a "second city crossing" line planned in central Manchester (the "City Zone") to ease congestion. In 2008 work on new Metrolink lines began, beginning the extension of the system to ChorltonChorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of the city of Manchester, England. It is known locally as Chorlton. It is situated about four miles southwest of Manchester city centre. Pronunciation varies: and are both common....
, East Didsbury, Ashton-under-LyneAshton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
, OldhamOldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, RochdaleRochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
, SportcitySportcity Manchester is a sports district in the City of Manchester, and was used to host of the 2002 Commonwealth Games. It is located in east Manchester, less than a mile away from Manchester city centre and was developed on former industrial land including the site of Bradford Colliery.The...
, MediaCityUK and Manchester Airport. Services to MediaCityUK started in 2010, while services to Chorlton started in 2011.
Once completed, the extensions will increase the system's length from 37 to 97 km (23 to 60.3 mi) with at least 99 stops and on completion, Greater Manchester will have the largest tram network in the United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
with a daily ridership of approximately 190,000.
History
{{main|History of Manchester Metrolink}}
The need for a light rail system in Manchester was born out of a desire to link its two main railway stations, PiccadillyManchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
and VictoriaManchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
. In the late 1960s and early 1970s there were plans for a "Picc-Vic tunnelPicc-Vic was a proposed, and later cancelled, underground railway designed in the early 1970s with the purpose of connecting two major mainline railway terminals in central Manchester, England. The name Picc-Vic was a contraction of the two station names, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria...
" to carry main-line trains under the city centre, but this proposal was abandoned because of excessive cost.
Plans for a light rail system in Manchester were first drawn up in 1984, consisting of three lines radiating from the city centre with an estimated cost of £42.5 million. The plans were revised in 1987, and a trial using a prototype Docklands Light Railway train was carried out on a freight-only line.
Authority to begin construction was granted in January 1988. This involved closing the heavy rail lines from Bury to Victoria (which was electrified using a non-standard and life-expired system) and from Altrincham to Manchester Picadilly for conversion, and a new route through the city centre streets. The line opened between Bury and Victoria in April 1992; the full system was operational from July that year.
A second phase, which extended the network to EcclesEccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
, was opened to Salford QuaysSalford Quays is an area of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, near the end of the Manchester Ship Canal. Previously the site of Manchester Docks, it became one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom following the closure of the dockyards in...
(Broadway stop) in December 1999, and through to Eccles on 18 July 2000. The MediaCityUK spur, which is located on the Eccles line, opened in September 2010. The South Manchester line became the fourth new line to open on the Metrolink network, with trams running to ChorltonChorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of the city of Manchester, England. It is known locally as Chorlton. It is situated about four miles southwest of Manchester city centre. Pronunciation varies: and are both common....
on 7 July 2011.
Operator
{{see also|History of Manchester Metrolink}}
Metrolink is run as a public-private partnershipPublic–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
between Transport for Greater Manchester and private transport firms. Between 1992 and 2007 Metrolink was operated and maintained by Serco. From 2007 to 2011 it was operated and maintained by Stagecoach Metrolink—part of the Stagecoach GroupStagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
—under a 10-year fixed-term management contract, which was due to run until July 2017. RATP Group bought Stagecoach's Metrolink businesses on 1 August 2011, but Stagecoach's other British light rail system, Sheffield Supertram was not sold.
Routes, stations and depots
Routes
Monday to Saturday service:
- Bury
Bury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
– Altrincham - every 12 minutes (daytime only)
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
– BuryBury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
- every 12 minutes
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
– Altrincham - every 12 minutes
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
– EcclesEccles Interchange is an interchange comprising a single platform Manchester Metrolink station and a small bus station serving Eccles town centre.The interchange opened as part of the second stage of the Eccles extension in July 2000....
- every 12 minutes
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
– MediaCityUK - every 12 minutes (daytime only - evening journeys provided by Eccles services)
- Victoria
Manchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
– St Werburgh's Road - every 12 minutes
The combined Monday-Saturday daytime frequency on the Bury and Altrincham routes is every 6 minutes.
Sunday and Bank Holiday service:
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
– BuryBury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
- every 12 minutes 1000-1700, every 15 minutes at other times
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
– Altrincham - every 12 minutes 1000-1700, every 15 minutes at other times
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
– EcclesEccles Interchange is an interchange comprising a single platform Manchester Metrolink station and a small bus station serving Eccles town centre.The interchange opened as part of the second stage of the Eccles extension in July 2000....
via MediaCityUK - every 12 minutes 1000-1700, every 15 minutes at other times
- Victoria
Manchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
– St Werburgh's Road - every 12 minutes 0930-1730, every 15 minutes at other times
The current route length is:
| Phase 1 |
| Bury – Victoria |
{{convinfobox|15.9|km |
1}} |
| Victoria – Deansgate-Castlefield |
{{convinfobox|1.9|km |
1}} |
| Spur to Piccadilly station |
{{convinfobox|0.4|km |
}
|-
|| Deansgate-Castlefield – Altrincham || {{convinfobox|12.2|km||mi}}
|-
! colspan="2" | Phase 2
|-
|| Cornbrook – Broadway || {{convinfobox|3.1|km||mi}}
|-
|| Broadway – Eccles || {{convinfobox|3.9|km||mi}}
|-
! colspan="2" | Phase 3
|-
|| Trafford Bar – St Werburgh's Road || {{convinfobox|2.6|km||mi}}
|}
Lines
This is a list of current service lines on the Metrolink:
| Bury Line |
Altrincham Line |
Eccles Line |
South Manchester Line |
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
{{Rail-interchange|gb|rail}}
- Piccadilly Gardens
Piccadilly Gardens Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station located in Piccadilly Gardens, adjacent to Piccadilly Bus Station. The station can be used for Interchange between the Bury service and Altrincham and Eccles services. The station is in the City Ticketing Zone.The station was...
{{rail-interchange|bus}}
- Market Street
Market Street Metrolink Station is a Manchester Metrolink station on Market Street, Manchester. Market Street is one of eight City-Zone Metrolink Stations....
- Shudehill
Shudehill Interchange, known locally as just Shudehill, is a transport interchange located between Manchester Victoria station and the Northern Quarter in Manchester.It comprises a Manchester Metrolink station and a bus station.-Bus station:...
{{rail-interchange|bus}}
- Victoria
Manchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
{{Rail-interchange|gb|rail}}
- Queens Road
Queens Road Metrolink Station is a proposed station on the Bury line, currently it is used as a staff-halt station only but there are plans to convert this into a full time station...
(planned station - staff halt only at present)
- Woodlands Road
Woodlands Road Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station on the former Manchester Victoria to Bury railway line.It was opened by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1913, in an attempt to fend off growing electric tramway competition in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester. The...
(closure planned)
- Abraham Moss
Abraham Moss Metrolink Station is a Manchester Metrolink station on the Manchester Victoria to Bury line. The station gained funding approval in 2010 and is scheduled to replace the under used Woodlands Road stop. The station is situated close to the local library and college campus. The planning...
- Crumpsall
Crumpsall Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station on the former Manchester Victoria to Bury railway line and is located on the corner of Crumpsall Lane and Station Road. The station forms part of Ticketing Zone C and is the stop for North Manchester General Hospital, which can be...
- Bowker Vale
Bowker Vale Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station on the former Manchester Victoria to Bury railway line.It was opened in 1938 by the London Midland and Scottish Railway, to serve a growing inter-war residential area...
- Heaton Park
Heaton Park Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station on the former Manchester Victoria to Bury railway line.The station forms part of Ticketing Zone B. The station is located at the corner of Whittaker Lane and Bury Old Road...
- Prestwich
Prestwich Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink tram station in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, England on the former Manchester Victoria to Bury railway line....
- Besses o'th' Barn
Besses o'th' Barn Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink tram station in Besses o' th' Barn, Greater Manchester, England on the former Manchester Victoria to Bury railway line....
- Whitefield
Whitefield Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink tram station in Whitefield, Greater Manchester on the former Manchester Victoria to Bury railway line....
- Radcliffe
Radcliffe Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink tram station in Radcliffe on the former Manchester Victoria to Bury railway line.The station lies within Ticketing Zone A. There is a walkway from the station towards the town centre and Radcliffe Bus Station. A blue neon sign adorns the front...
- Buckley Wells
Buckley Wells Metrolink Station is a proposed park and ride Metrolink station on the Bury line, the site is owned by GMPTE and was proposed in 2003 but vocal opposition locally to possible increased congestion in a leafy suburb has meant that the plans have not been significantly advanced since...
(proposed)
- Bury
Bury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
{{rail-interchange|bus}} |
PiccadillyManchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
{{Rail-interchange|gb|rail}}
Piccadilly GardensPiccadilly Gardens Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station located in Piccadilly Gardens, adjacent to Piccadilly Bus Station. The station can be used for Interchange between the Bury service and Altrincham and Eccles services. The station is in the City Ticketing Zone.The station was...
{{rail-interchange|bus}}
Mosley StreetMosley Street Metrolink Station is on the Altrincham and Eccles lines of the Manchester Metrolink light rail system in Manchester City Centre, England, UK. The station is unidirectional, having a single platform on the southbound track to serve passengers travelling towards St Peter's Square...
(southbound only) (#)
St Peter's Square
Deansgate-Castlefield ({{Rail-interchange|gb|rail}} DeansgateDeansgate is a railway station in Manchester city centre, England. It is situated approximately west of Manchester Piccadilly in the Castlefield area, at the junction of Deansgate and Whitworth Street West....
)
CornbrookCornbrook Metrolink station is located on the north side of Cornbrook Road between the A56 Chester Road dual carriageway and Pomona Docks on the Manchester Ship Canal. It is built on the former Cheshire Lines Committee approach to Manchester Central....
Trafford BarTrafford Bar Metrolink Station serves the areas of Old Trafford and Whalley Range in Greater Manchester and lies at the junction of Talbot Road and Seymour Grove, it is also one of several stops used for Old Trafford Stadium and thus one of the busier on the line. Once the current construction of...
Old TraffordOld Trafford Metrolink station is a station on the Metrolink light rail network in Greater Manchester, England. It is located on Warwick Road and Elsinore Road and serves Firswood, Old Trafford and Stretford....
StretfordStretford Metrolink station is located on the corner of Chester Road and Edge Lane, it serves the suburb Stretford and eastern parts of Urmston....
(for shuttle bus to Trafford CentreThe Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre and leisure complex situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, close to the Trafford Park industrial estate and approximately 5 miles from Manchester city centre. It is the highest valued shopping centre in the...
)
Dane RoadDane Road station is located on Dane Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, England. The station is in Ticketing Zone F.-History:The station originally opened on 20 July 1931 by the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway . Referred to as Dane Road on early tickets, timetables etc.. Operated...
SaleSale Metrolink Station is located on Northenden Road in Sale. There is a park and ride facility for passengers using the Manchester Metrolink system. The station is in Ticketing Zone F.-History:...
BrooklandsBrooklands is a Manchester Metrolink station serving the Brooklands area of Sale, Greater Manchester. It is located on Brooklands Station Approach at the corner of Marsland Road and Brooklands Road. The station is in Ticketing Zone F.-History:...
TimperleyTimperley Metrolink station serves the town of Timperley in Altrincham, Greater Manchester. It is located on Park Road. The station is in Ticketing Zone G.-History:...
Navigation Road {{Rail-interchange|gb|rail}}
Altrincham {{Rail-interchange|gb|rail}} {{rail-interchange|bus}}
The line through Navigation Road is single track. |
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
{{Rail-interchange|gb|rail}}
- Piccadilly Gardens
Piccadilly Gardens Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station located in Piccadilly Gardens, adjacent to Piccadilly Bus Station. The station can be used for Interchange between the Bury service and Altrincham and Eccles services. The station is in the City Ticketing Zone.The station was...
{{rail-interchange|bus}}
- Mosley Street
Mosley Street Metrolink Station is on the Altrincham and Eccles lines of the Manchester Metrolink light rail system in Manchester City Centre, England, UK. The station is unidirectional, having a single platform on the southbound track to serve passengers travelling towards St Peter's Square...
(southbound only) (#)
- St Peter's Square
- Deansgate-Castlefield ({{Rail-interchange|gb|rail}} Deansgate
Deansgate is a railway station in Manchester city centre, England. It is situated approximately west of Manchester Piccadilly in the Castlefield area, at the junction of Deansgate and Whitworth Street West....
)
- Cornbrook
Cornbrook Metrolink station is located on the north side of Cornbrook Road between the A56 Chester Road dual carriageway and Pomona Docks on the Manchester Ship Canal. It is built on the former Cheshire Lines Committee approach to Manchester Central....
- Pomona
Pomona Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station serving the Pomona Docks area which is to yet to be redeveloped. Pomona is Metrolink's only purpose built elevated tram stop, built with exposed concrete supports similar to much of the DLR....
- Exchange Quay
Exchange Quay Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station serving the Salford Quays area.The station opened as part of the first stage of the Eccles extension in 1999...
- Salford Quays
Salford Quays Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station serving the Salford Quays area. The station is located within ticketing Zone H.The station opened as part of the first stage of the Eccles extension in 1999.-Services:...
- Anchorage
Anchorage Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station serving the Salford Quays area.The station opened as part of the first stage of the Eccles extension in 1999...
- Harbour City
Harbour City Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station serving the Salford Quays area. This station serves passengers travelling to the Lowry, The Imperial War Museum North and Lowry Outlet Mall. The station is near to MediaCityUK, the proposed site for the BBC's North West operations.The...
- MediaCityUK (daytime shuttle service to/from Piccadilly, served by through trams to/from Eccles evenings and Sundays)
- Broadway
Broadway Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink stop serving the Salford Quays area of Salford. The station is located within Zone H.-Services:...
- Langworthy
Langworthy Metrolink station is an on-street Metrolink station on the Eccles Line, between the town of Eccles and Salford Quays in the City of Salford, North West England....
- Weaste
Weaste Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station in the Weaste district of Salford, North West England.The station is close to the M602 motorway. The station is also close to The Willows, the current home ground of Salford RLFC, although the club will be moving to the City of Salford...
- Ladywell
Ladywell Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink tram stop in the Ladywell district of Salford, North West England. The station is a purpose built Park and ride station on the Eccles Line....
- Eccles {{rail-interchange|bus}} ({{Rail-interchange|gb|rail}} {{stnlnk|Eccles}})
|
VictoriaManchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
{{rail-interchange|gb|rail}}
ShudehillShudehill Interchange, known locally as just Shudehill, is a transport interchange located between Manchester Victoria station and the Northern Quarter in Manchester.It comprises a Manchester Metrolink station and a bus station.-Bus station:...
{{rail-interchange|bus}}
Market StreetMarket Street Metrolink Station is a Manchester Metrolink station on Market Street, Manchester. Market Street is one of eight City-Zone Metrolink Stations....
Mosley StreetMosley Street Metrolink Station is on the Altrincham and Eccles lines of the Manchester Metrolink light rail system in Manchester City Centre, England, UK. The station is unidirectional, having a single platform on the southbound track to serve passengers travelling towards St Peter's Square...
(southbound only) (#)
St Peter's Square
Deansgate-Castlefield ({{Rail-interchange|gb|rail}} DeansgateDeansgate is a railway station in Manchester city centre, England. It is situated approximately west of Manchester Piccadilly in the Castlefield area, at the junction of Deansgate and Whitworth Street West....
)
CornbrookCornbrook Metrolink station is located on the north side of Cornbrook Road between the A56 Chester Road dual carriageway and Pomona Docks on the Manchester Ship Canal. It is built on the former Cheshire Lines Committee approach to Manchester Central....
Trafford BarTrafford Bar Metrolink Station serves the areas of Old Trafford and Whalley Range in Greater Manchester and lies at the junction of Talbot Road and Seymour Grove, it is also one of several stops used for Old Trafford Stadium and thus one of the busier on the line. Once the current construction of...
FirswoodFirswood Metrolink Station is a Manchester Metrolink station built on the former Cheshire Lines Committee line. The station is one of the first stations opened as part of Phase 3A of the Big Bang extension plans. It is located in a cutting, adjacent to the St John Vianney school on Rye Bank Road,...
Chorlton
St Werburgh's Road |
Stations
Rail interchanges on Metrolink include PiccadillyManchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
, VictoriaManchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
, Deansgate-Castlefield (formerly G-Mex, for Deansgate railway stationDeansgate is a railway station in Manchester city centre, England. It is situated approximately west of Manchester Piccadilly in the Castlefield area, at the junction of Deansgate and Whitworth Street West....
), Altrincham and Navigation Road. EcclesEccles railway station serves the town of Eccles in the City of Salford district of Greater Manchester.The station is next to the M602 motorway and is 400 metres away from the Eccles Metrolink station...
is also available for interchange via a walk of 400 metres (437.4 yd).
Major bus interchanges are at BuryBury Interchange is an interchange in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The interchange was opened in 1980, incorporating a new bus station and the northern terminus of the Bury to Manchester railway line.-History:...
, VictoriaManchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
, ShudehillShudehill Interchange, known locally as just Shudehill, is a transport interchange located between Manchester Victoria station and the Northern Quarter in Manchester.It comprises a Manchester Metrolink station and a bus station.-Bus station:...
, Piccadilly GardensPiccadilly Gardens Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station located in Piccadilly Gardens, adjacent to Piccadilly Bus Station. The station can be used for Interchange between the Bury service and Altrincham and Eccles services. The station is in the City Ticketing Zone.The station was...
, Altrincham and EcclesEccles railway station serves the town of Eccles in the City of Salford district of Greater Manchester.The station is next to the M602 motorway and is 400 metres away from the Eccles Metrolink station...
. As of July 2011, there were 42 Metrolink stops: 19 of which are former British RailBritish Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
stations on the Altrincham, Bury and South Manchester, 20 are new stops on the four lines plus the city centre, and 3 shared main line stations (Altrincham, Piccadilly and Victoria).
On 15 January 2010, a report was issued by GMITA (Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority) proposing the possible closure of Mosley Street station due to operational difficulties, including the annual maintenance cost of retractable steps on the trams to access the profiled platform, the cramped location being unsuitable for full length platform conversion and tram congestion affecting the nearby Piccadilly delta junction when frequency is increased. Public notices were issued announcing Department for Transport consultations on the closure of Mosley Street and Woodlands Road stations ending February 2011, the closing date of the Woodlands Road consultation was later extended to March; Woodlands Road is to be replaced by a new station at Abraham Moss, some 250 metres to the north and already open, and by a new station at Queens Road which previously was only a staff halt. Both consultations found in favour of closure but the final ministerial consent must await approval from the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). In the meantime a parliamentary service has begun operating at Woodlands Road with the hours cut back so that trams only stop between 10am and 4pm on weekdays and pass through without stopping at other times. As of June 2011 trams continue to stop at Mosley Street and work has not started at Queens Road.
Depots
The first Metrolink depot is south of Queen's Road (Cheetham HillCheetham Hill is an inner city area of Manchester, England. As an electoral ward it is known as Cheetham and has a population of 12,846. It lies on the west bank of the River Irk, north-northeast of Manchester city centre and close to the boundary with the City of Salford...
, M8) on the western side of the Bury line, between Victoria and Woodlands Road. The depot connections face Bury. Queens Road staff halt serves the depot. This facility was not able to handle the expanded network, so GMPTE obtained a site for a second depot near Old Trafford. Work on this site, alongside the track between Trafford Bar and Old Trafford, commenced in early 2009 with the demolition of the remaining buildings on the site, with the new depot opening in 2011 to coincide with the opening of the South Manchester Line. The final planned capacity for the Old Trafford depot is 96.
Fares and usage
Fares are charged according on the number of fare zones travelled through, and whether travel is in the peak period - before 0930 on weekdays (except 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 possible to purchase tickets from the machines for travel all day, for groups, or all weekend. Some ticket machines accept only coins, others also accept banknotes and give a maximum of £7 change.
Metrolink now uses ticketing stock which is similar to the systems in use with National RailNational Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
services. This includes the introduction of stronger credit card sized tickets with magnetic strip encoding. Previously smaller paper tickets were issued.
Metrolink carried 18.8 million passengers in 2004. According to Metrolink sources, at least two million fewer car journeys have been made each year along the tram route due to the introduction of Metrolink. However, other sources suggest that the longer diversion of trains between Northwich, Knutsford and Manchester via Stockport instead of via Sale, caused by the conversion of the Metrolink line, has resulted in more traffic on the A556 as people drive to Altrincham to catch the Metrolink instead of catching the train, resulting in large increases in traffic volumes on the A556. A new £130m road is to be built to solve this problem. Metrolink is the busiest tram system in the UK and many services are extremely busy, especially at peak timesA rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
at the city centre stations. In the first two years of Metrolink operation, peak hour patronage was well below expected levels, but off-peak patronage exceeded expectations.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} Metrolink reacted by reducing peak fares which improved loadings.
Overall in its first full year of operation 11 million journeys were made on Metrolink compared to the annual expected level of 12 million journeys after maturity^ and in the first full year of operation on the Eccles line 3 million journeys were made on Metrolink compared to the annual expected level of 6 million journeys after maturity^.
^Maturity is defined by the National Audit Office as 'promotors figures, usually up to five years after opening'.
Fare evasion and penalties
All Metrolink tickets must be purchased before travel. A "standard fare" of £100 is charged to passengers who evade fares by travelling without a valid ticket or pass. To avoid prosecution, this must be paid within 21 days, and is reduced by 50% if it is paid within 14 days. Metrolink is policed by the Greater Manchester PoliceGreater Manchester Police is the police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England...
including Police Community Support OfficerA police community support officer , or community support officer is a uniformed non-warranted officer employed by a territorial police force or the British Transport Police in England and Wales. Police community support officers were introduced in September 2002 by the Police Reform Act 2002...
s. 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 Metrolink Travel Safe Officers.
It should be noted that National Rail Enquiries sometimes give passengers invalid information about rail tickets being valid on Metrolink services. Passengers can only use rail tickets on Metrolink services in the following instances:
- The origin or destination on the ticket is a Metrolink stop or zone e.g. Sale Metrolink
- The ticket says Manchester CTLZ as the origin or destination, in which case it is valid within the city centre zone
- The ticket says Metrolink City as the origin or destination, in which case it is valid within the city centre zone (except in instance below)
- The ticket says Metrolink City as the origin or destination and route:Altrincham, in which case it is valid on the Altrincham to Deansgate-Castlefield line as well as within the city centre (these tickets are only available to and from Cuddington, Greenbank, Northwich, Lostock Gralam, Plumley, Knutsford, Mobberley, Ashley and Hale stations)
- The ticket states 'route:Metrolink'
- A TfGM ticket that combines rail and tram travel
- On Sundays only (and occasionally on other days during rail disruption) rail tickets between Manchester and stations between Mouldsworth and Navigation Road are accepted on Metrolink services between Altrincham and the city centre zone
Fleet
| Class |
Image |
Top speed |
Number |
Built |
Notes |
| mph |
km/h |
| T-68 The T-68 is a type of tram used only on the Manchester Metrolink system in Greater Manchester, England. The trams have unusually high floors, designed to be accessed from standard UK railway platforms: all tram stops on the city streets have been built to a height of , for compatibility with...
|
 |
50 |
80 |
26 |
1991–1992 |
Twelve units to be withdrawn by 2014 |
| T-68 The T-68 is a type of tram used only on the Manchester Metrolink system in Greater Manchester, England. The trams have unusually high floors, designed to be accessed from standard UK railway platforms: all tram stops on the city streets have been built to a height of , for compatibility with...
a |
|
50 |
80 |
6 |
1999 |
|
| M5000 The M5000 is a model of Flexity Swift high-floor tram, built by the Canadian manufacturer Bombardier Transportation at its factories in Bautzen, Germany and test facility in Vienna, Austria with all electrical equipment supplied by Vossloh Kiepe of Werdohl, Germany.-Manchester Metrolink:As part of...
|
|
50 |
80 |
74 (on order) |
2008–2011 |
Twelve additional units ordered to replace T-68s |
T-68
{{Main|T-68}}
The original vehicles operated on the Metrolink network since 1991 are T-68The T-68 is a type of tram used only on the Manchester Metrolink system in Greater Manchester, England. The trams have unusually high floors, designed to be accessed from standard UK railway platforms: all tram stops on the city streets have been built to a height of , for compatibility with...
trams built by the Italian manufacturer AnsaldoBreda. In 1999 the same company supplied six T-68a trams for operation on the Eccles extension. In December 2007 the Metrolink fleet consisted of 26 T-68 vehicles numbered in the 1000 series, and six T68a vehicles numbered in the 2000 series.
The trams normally operate singly, except during the rush hours when there are a few double trams along the Bury–Altrincham route. The trams consist of two units joined by an articulated section, with four doors per side. They are 30 m long and bi-directional with cabs at both ends. The front and rear bogies are powered, with two 750 V, 105 kW motors per bogie. The third bogie, under the articulation, is not powered. The maximum speed is 80 km/h (49.7 mph), however 48 km/h (29.8 mph) is the maximum speed allowed for street running. There are 83 seats in each vehicle (plus four folding seats) and the nominal capacity is 200 passengers (250 maximum). Up to four trams can be worked in multiple, but the platform length on the Eccles line and city centre routes allow for a double unit only. Although the former heavy rail stations on the Bury and Altrincham lines can accept a triple or quadruple tram, each platform's public area is currently shorter than its full length.
M5000
{{Main|M5000}}
As part of the "Big Bang" network extension project, the Metrolink fleet is being expanded with the introduction of new Flexity SwiftThe Flexity Swift tram is a family of urban and inter-urban light-rail vehicles manufactured by Bombardier Transportation for a wide number of customers across Europe...
high-floor trams, built by Bombardier TransportationBombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
.
In April 2007 eight Flexity Swift LRVs were ordered, designated 'M5000', similar to the K5000 series used in the German cities of CologneThe Cologne Stadtbahn is a light rail system in the German city of Cologne, including several surrounding cities...
and BonnThe Bonn Stadtbahn is a part of the local public transit system in Bonn and the surrounding Rhein-Sieg area. Although with six actual Stadtbahn lines and three tram lines it is relatively small, two of the Stadtbahn lines connect to the much larger Cologne Stadtbahn .The entire network comprises...
, and similar to the low-floor models used by London's TramlinkTramlink is a tramway system in south London in the United Kingdom which began operation in May 2000...
. This initial order was quickly followed by additional orders for phase 3A and eventually a large order for phase 3B with a total of 62 trams on order. In October 2011 it was announced that an order further 12 'M5000' had been placed to enable some of the T68 vehicles to taken out of service, taking the current total order to 74.
As of the 1st of November 2011, 43 M5000 trams have been delivered. Each tram is 28.4m long, and has 52 standard seats with a further 8 'perch' seats.
SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle)
Metrolink has one SPV and it is the original dating from 1991. Normally it can be seen shunting Queens Road Depot but can occasionally be seen in the Timperley Turnback siding on the Altrincham line. In 2009 it was repainted into an all yellow livery (the second livery for the car after its Metrolink White Livery) and numbered 1027 (the T68's fleet ending in 1026) and its sole wagon numbered 1028. The vehicle is passed for Eccles Running.
Boeing LRV
In 2001, with the upcoming Commonwealth GamesThe 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
to be held in Manchester, Metrolink decided that it would need an immediate enhancement in capacity and investigated purchasing a number of Boeing LRVsThe US Standard Light Rail Vehicle was an attempt at a standardized light rail vehicle promoted by the United States Urban Mass Transportation Administration and built by Boeing Vertol in the 1970s...
from Muni MetroMuni Metro is a light rail system serving San Francisco, California, operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway , a division of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency...
in San Francisco. Two vehicles were initially purchased for proving, with one sent to the Railway Inspectorate at Derby for safety testing, and the other direct to Metrolink for compatibility tests, But it derailed while on a test run to Eccles and was dumped in Queens Road.
with a further twelve stored pending sale. Eventually it transpired that the cost of making these vehicles suitable for use in the UK was too great for what was intended as a relatively short term measure, and the sale of the remaining vehicles was not taken forward. The vehicle at Metrolink's Queen's Road depot was eventually scrapped in 2007; the one at Derby remains.
Future
{{Wide image|Manchester Metrolink route map including future lines.jpg|1000px|A route map of the current Metrolink lines, lines under construction and possible future lines}}
Phase 3
Phase 3 is an ambitious expansion programme that will see trams running to OldhamOldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, RochdaleRochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
, Ashton-under-LyneAshton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
, WythenshaweWythenshawe is a district in the south of the city of Manchester, England.Formerly part of the administrative county of Cheshire, in 1931 Wythenshawe was transferred to the City of Manchester, which had begun building a massive housing estate there in the 1920s to resolve the problem of its inner...
and Manchester Airport. It has been dubbed the "Big Bang" on account of the size of the planned extensions.
Expansion of the Metrolink network has been promoted since the 1980s, but proposals have had mixed fortunes. In 2000, a £500 million expansion of Metrolink was announced by the Government, promising extensions to Oldham, Rochdale, Ashton-under-Lyne, Wythenshawe and Manchester Airport. These plans were later cancelled due to increasing costs.
Phase 3 was eventually split into two more phases due to funding constraints, known as Phase 3a and Phase 3b. In December 2004 the government announced that £520 million would be authorised for Phase 3a. Phase 3a was given the go-ahead by the Department for TransportIn the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
in July 2006, with a £300m funding gap expected to be met by a loan. Funding for Phase 3b was tied in with the Greater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund; following the rejection of congestion charging in Manchester in a 2008 referendum, councils grouped together and agreed a way to raise the capital through loans, council tax rises and the government releasing future funding.
At a meeting of AGMA (the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities), 12 May 2009, cross-party agreement was reached between representatives of all ten Greater Manchester authorities for an increase in Council TaxCouncil Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
to cover a number of transport improvements. The list of 10 schemes costing £1.4 billion includes some road and bus improvements but crucially for Metrolink fills the gap in funding left by the shortfall of the "3a" scheme.
The money is to be found by a combination of an increase in council tax (by approx £2 per year per council tax payer), contributions from Manchester Airport, increased revenue from passenger journeys and the early release of some central government money, previously earmarked for transport improvements in the conurbation. The revived project was presented by the leader of Manchester City Council Sir Richard LeeseSir Richard Charles Leese, CBE , is a politician in the City of Manchester in the United Kingdom. He has been the leader of Manchester City Council since 1996.-Early life:...
as "a new plan" which had been drawn up after the failure of the Transport Innovation Fund referendum.
Summary of Metrolink Phase 3 extension plans
| East Manchester Line |
South Manchester Line |
Oldham & Rochdale Line |
Manchester Airport Line |
|
 |
|
|
Phase 3a:
- Construction of the line as far as Droylsden
Phase 3b:
- Extension to Ashton-under-Lyne
|
Phase 3a:
- Construction of the line as far as St Werburgh's Road (opened July 2011)
Phase 3b:
- Extension to East Didsbury
|
Phase 3a:
- Conversion of part of the Oldham Loop line Victoria - Rochdale
Phase 3b:
- Re-route line through Oldham town centre
- Extension into Rochdale Town Centre
|
Phase 3a
- Construction of the line as far as St Werburgh's Road (complete)
Phase 3b:
- Creation of new line from St Werburgh's Road to Manchester Airport
|
East Manchester Line
(Summer 2012 — Summer 2013 ) |
South Manchester Line
(July 2011 — 2013) |
Oldham & Rochdale Line
(July 2011 — 2014) |
Manchester Airport Line
(July 2011 — 2016) |
- Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
{{rail-interchange|gb|rail}}
- New Islington (Summer 2012)
[Acceleration to late 2011 to coincide with football season under consideration]
- Holt Town
Holt Town Street Metrolink Station is a future station proposed in Phase 3a of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in the summer of 2012 and will be located on the East Manchester line next to the road Holt Town, near to the River Medlock and Ashton New Road.-Services:Trams...
(Summer 2012)
- Etihad Campus (Summer 2012)
- Velopark
Velopark Metrolink station is a station under construction as part of Phase 3a of the Manchester Metrolink. Prior to building work, the proposed stop had been known as New East and later as Sportcity-Velodrome....
(Summer 2012)
- Clayton Hall
Clayton Hall Metrolink Station is a future station proposed in Phase 3a of the Manchester Metrolink. The station was previously to be simply titled Clayton and is scheduled to open in the summer of 2012 and will be located on the East Manchester line on Clayton Hall Road near to the junction of...
(Summer 2012)
- Edge Lane
Edge Lane Metrolink Station is a station under construction as part of Phase 3a of the Manchester Metrolink, and scheduled to open in the summer of 2012,located on the East Manchester line on Manchester Road adjacent to the junction of Edge Lane.-Services:...
(Summer 2012)
- Cemetery Road
Cemetery Road Metrolink Station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in the summer of 2012 and will be located on the East Manchester line on Manchester at the junction of Cemetery Road....
(Summer 2012)
- Droylsden
Droylsden Metrolink Station is a future station under construction as part of Phase 3a of the Manchester Metrolink, and will serve the town of Droylsden in Greater Manchester...
(Summer 2012)
- Audenshaw
Audenshaw Metrolink Station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in the winter of 2013/14 and will be located on Droylsden Road at the junctions of Lumb Lane and Manchester Road.-Services:...
(Winter 2013)
- Ashton Moss
Ashton Moss Metrolink Station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in the winter of 2013/14 and will be located on Lord Sheldon Way near the Ashton Moss leisure complex and Snipe Retail Park on Ashton New Road.-Services:Trams are...
(Winter 2013)
- Ashton West
Ashton West Metrolink Station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in the winter of 2013/14 and will be located on Lord Sheldon Way near the Ashton Moss leisure complex.-Services:...
(Winter 2013)
- Ashton-under-Lyne {{rail-interchange|bus}} {{rail-interchange|gb|rail}} (Winter 2013)
|
- Victoria
Manchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
{{rail-interchange|gb|rail}}
- Shudehill
Shudehill Interchange, known locally as just Shudehill, is a transport interchange located between Manchester Victoria station and the Northern Quarter in Manchester.It comprises a Manchester Metrolink station and a bus station.-Bus station:...
{{rail-interchange|bus}}
- Market Street
Market Street Metrolink Station is a Manchester Metrolink station on Market Street, Manchester. Market Street is one of eight City-Zone Metrolink Stations....
- Mosley Street
Mosley Street Metrolink Station is on the Altrincham and Eccles lines of the Manchester Metrolink light rail system in Manchester City Centre, England, UK. The station is unidirectional, having a single platform on the southbound track to serve passengers travelling towards St Peter's Square...
(southbound only) (#)
- St Peter's Square
- Deansgate-Castlefield {{Rail-interchange|gb|rail}} (Deansgate
Deansgate is a railway station in Manchester city centre, England. It is situated approximately west of Manchester Piccadilly in the Castlefield area, at the junction of Deansgate and Whitworth Street West....
)
- Cornbrook
Cornbrook Metrolink station is located on the north side of Cornbrook Road between the A56 Chester Road dual carriageway and Pomona Docks on the Manchester Ship Canal. It is built on the former Cheshire Lines Committee approach to Manchester Central....
- Trafford Bar
Trafford Bar Metrolink Station serves the areas of Old Trafford and Whalley Range in Greater Manchester and lies at the junction of Talbot Road and Seymour Grove, it is also one of several stops used for Old Trafford Stadium and thus one of the busier on the line. Once the current construction of...
- Firswood
Firswood Metrolink Station is a Manchester Metrolink station built on the former Cheshire Lines Committee line. The station is one of the first stations opened as part of Phase 3A of the Big Bang extension plans. It is located in a cutting, adjacent to the St John Vianney school on Rye Bank Road,...
- Chorlton
- St Werburgh's Road
- Withington
Withington Metrolink Station is a future station proposed in Phase 3B of the Manchester Metrolink Big Bang extension plans, which is located on the west side of Princess Road on the fringe of Withington, the stop will be in a cutting...
(Summer 2013)
- Burton Road
Burton Road Metrolink Station is a future station which is to be constructed on one of the new lines on the Manchester Metrolink light rail public transport system in Manchester, England, UK....
(Summer 2013)
- West Didsbury (Summer 2013)
- Didsbury Village (Summer 2013)
- East Didsbury {{rail-interchange|gb|rail}} (Summer 2013)
(#) - Station planned to close |
- Victoria
Manchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
{{Rail-interchange|gb|rail}}
- Monsall
Monsall Metrolink Station is a future station planned in Phase 3a of the Manchester Metrolink and will serve the district of Monsall in Manchester.-External links:*...
(Nov/Dec 2011)
- Central Park
Central Park Metrolink Station is a future station on the Metrolink light rail network in the Newton Heath area of the City of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. The station was constructed in 2005 but is currently unused...
(Nov/Dec 2011)
- Newton Heath and Moston
Newton Heath and Moston Metrolink station is an under-construction Manchester Metrolink station in the Newton Heath area of Manchester, England....
(Feb/Mar 2012)
- Failsworth (Feb/Mar 2012)
- Hollinwood (Feb/Mar 2012)
- South Chadderton
South Chadderton Metrolink Station is a future station in Phase 3a of the Manchester Metrolink and will be located between Drury Lane and Stanley Road.-External links:*...
(Feb/Mar 2012)
- Freehold
Freehold Metrolink Station is a future station proposed in Phase 3a of the Manchester Metrolink and will be located on the west side of Block Lane, Chadderton, close to the Oldham boundary....
(Feb/Mar 2012)
- Westwood
Westwood Metrolink station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink and will serve the Westwood area of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England.-External links:*...
(Spring 2014)
- Oldham King Street
Oldham King Street Metrolink Station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink and will be located in Oldham's town centre....
(Spring 2014)
- Oldham Central
Oldham Central Metrolink Station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink and will be located in Oldham Town Centre, to the west of Clegg Street. The station will take its name from the closed Oldham Central railway station, the site of which is now on the other side of...
(Spring 2014)
- Oldham Mumps {{rail-interchange|bus}} (Feb/Mar 2012) (#)
- Derker (Summer 2012)
- Shaw & Crompton (Summer 2012)
- Newhey
New Hey railway station, known by its archaist name, which opened on 2 November 1863 served Newhey, a suburb of Milnrow in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England ....
(Summer 2012)
- Milnrow (Summer 2012)
- Kingsway Business Park
Kingsway Metrolink Station is a future station proposed in Phase 3 of the Manchester Metrolink and will serve Kingsway Business Park between Milnrow and Rochdale...
(Summer 2012)
- Newbold
Newbold Metrolink Station is a future station in Phase 3a of the Manchester Metrolink and will serve the district of Newbold in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England.-External links:*...
(Summer 2012)
- Rochdale Railway Station
Rochdale railway station serves the town of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England. The Manchester and Leeds Railway opened a station serving the town in the 19th century...
{{Rail-interchange|gb|rail}} (Summer 2012)
- Rochdale Town Centre {{rail-interchange|bus}} (Spring 2014)
(#) - temporary station to be built at former railway station until 2014, new street level station interchange opens in Spring 2014 |
- Victoria
Manchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
{{Rail-interchange|gb|rail}}
- Exchange Square (Mid 2016)
- St Peter's Square (#) (Mid 2016)
- Deansgate-Castlefield {{rail-interchange|gb|rail}} (Deansgate
Deansgate is a railway station in Manchester city centre, England. It is situated approximately west of Manchester Piccadilly in the Castlefield area, at the junction of Deansgate and Whitworth Street West....
)
- Cornbrook
Cornbrook Metrolink station is located on the north side of Cornbrook Road between the A56 Chester Road dual carriageway and Pomona Docks on the Manchester Ship Canal. It is built on the former Cheshire Lines Committee approach to Manchester Central....
- Trafford Bar
Trafford Bar Metrolink Station serves the areas of Old Trafford and Whalley Range in Greater Manchester and lies at the junction of Talbot Road and Seymour Grove, it is also one of several stops used for Old Trafford Stadium and thus one of the busier on the line. Once the current construction of...
- Firswood
Firswood Metrolink Station is a Manchester Metrolink station built on the former Cheshire Lines Committee line. The station is one of the first stations opened as part of Phase 3A of the Big Bang extension plans. It is located in a cutting, adjacent to the St John Vianney school on Rye Bank Road,...
- Chorlton
- St Werburgh's Road
- Barlow Moor Road
Barlow Moor Road Metrolink station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in 2016 and will be located on the Airport line on Mauldeth Road West next to the junction of Barlow Moor Road ....
(Mid 2016)
- Hardy Farm
Hardy Farm Metrolink station was a proposed future station on the phase 3b plans to Manchester Airport. It was due to open in 2016.It has now been dropped from the plans.-References:* http://www.metrolink.co.uk/futuremetrolink/future-extensions.asp...
(Mid 2016)
- Sale Water Park
Sale Water Park Metrolink station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in 2016 and will be located on the Airport line on Rifle Road near the water park...
(Mid 2016)
- Northern Moor
Northern Moor Metrolink station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in 2016 and will be located on the Airport line on Sale Road.-Services:...
(Mid 2016)
- Wythenshawe Park
Wythenshawe Park Metrolink station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in 2016 and will be located on the Airport line on Wythenshawe Road near to the junction of Moor Road.-Services:...
(Mid 2016)
- Moor Road
Moor Road Metrolink station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in 2016 and will be located on the Airport line on Moor Road at the junction of Bideford Drive.-Services:...
(Mid 2016)
- Baguley
Baguley is a light rail/heavy rail interchange station, due to be served by Metrolink and Northern Rail. It is due to be constructed as part of the Metrolink phase 3b plans to Manchester Airport and will open in 2016. The Metrolink station will be located on the Airport line on Southmoor Road next...
{{rail-interchange|gb|rail}} (Mid 2016)
- Roundthorn
Roundthorn Metrolink station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in 2016 and will be located on the Airport line in between Southmoor Road and Roundthorn Road...
(Mid 2016)
- Haveley
Haveley Metrolink station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in 2016 and will be located on the Airport line on Hollyhedge Road next to St Martin's Church.-Services:...
(Mid 2016)
- Benchill
Benchill Metrolink station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in 2016 and will be located on the Airport line on Brownley Road...
(Mid 2016)
- Crossacres
Crossacres Metrolink station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in 2016 and will be located on the Airport line on Brownley Road near to the junction of Crossacres Road.-Services:...
(Mid 2016)
- Wythenshawe Town Centre
Wythenshawe Town Centre Metrolink station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in 2016 and will be located on the Airport line in Wythenshawe town centre next to shops, the library and Wythenshawe Forum...
{{rail-interchange|bus}} (Mid 2016)
- Robinswood Road
Robinswood Road Metrolink station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in 2016 and will be located on the Airport line on Simonsway at the junction of Brownley Road and Ruddpark Road, with Manchester Airport-bound services stopping...
(Mid 2016)
- Peel Hall
Peel Hall Metrolink station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in 2016 and will be located on the Airport line on Simonsway next to the junction of Peel Hall Road...
(Mid 2016)
- Shadowmoss
Shadowmoss Metrolink station is a future station proposed in Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink. The station is scheduled to open in 2016 and will be located on the Airport line on Shadowmoss Road near the Ringway Trading Estate.-Services:...
(Mid 2016)
- Manchester Airport {{rail-interchange|bus}} {{rail-interchange|gb|rail}} (Mid 2016)
(#) - New extended station will be built at existing site with additional platforms |
Phase 3a
{{Manchester Metrolink Proposed Extensions (Phase 3a)}}
Phase 3a will take over the existing heavy rail Oldham Loop Line to OldhamOldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
and RochdaleRochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
, and extensions to DroylsdenDroylsden is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It is to the east of Manchester city centre, and west-southwest of Ashton-under-Lyne, it has a population of 23,172....
and to St Werburgh's Road in Chorlton-cum-HardyChorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of the city of Manchester, England. It is known locally as Chorlton. It is situated about four miles southwest of Manchester city centre. Pronunciation varies: and are both common....
.
Environmental surveys began in April 2008 and continued until the autumn. Several companies were short-listed to build the extensions with the M-Pact Thales consortium, made up of ThalesThe Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...
, Laing O'RourkeLaing O'Rourke is a multinational construction company headquartered in Dartford, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1978....
and GrantRailVolkerRail is part of VolkerWessels UK, a multi-disciplinary construction and civil engineering group. VolkerRail specialises in providing railway infrastructure services across the UK and Ireland.- History :...
, being eventually picked in spring 2008. The project's final cost was calculated at £575 million and was signed off in May 2008. Construction started in 2009 and the new lines becoming operational in 2011–12. The first new line to open was the South Manchester line to St Werburgh's Road, which opened on 7 July 2011. Metrolink have announced trams will be running tests along the East Manchester Line from mid-July 2011, as far as VeloparkVelopark Metrolink station is a station under construction as part of Phase 3a of the Manchester Metrolink. Prior to building work, the proposed stop had been known as New East and later as Sportcity-Velodrome....
. As of July 2011, all stations to this point are at a more advanced stage than those further along the route. There is speculation that Metrolink could run the line this far, with Velopark as a terminus, while the remainder of the line to Droylsden continues to be built.
Phase 3b
Phase 3b will divert the Phase 3a Rochdale line into OldhamOldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
and RochdaleRochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
town centres, and extend the Droylsden line to Ashton-under-LyneAshton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
and the St Werburgh's Road line to East Didsbury and Manchester Airport.
Phase 3b forms part of Greater Manchester's integrated transport strategy, which recommends a wide-ranging package of transport investment and traffic management measures. In July 2007 GMPTE and the Association of Greater Manchester Local AuthoritiesThe Association of Greater Manchester Authorities is the local government association for Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It was established in 1986 as a voluntary organisation to represent the ten district councils of Greater Manchester after the Greater...
(AGMA) submitted a bid to the Government's Transport Innovation Fund to secure the funding for this package which would have guaranteed the extensions to these destinations. The bid was put to a referendum and rejected by the residents of Greater Manchester. Following on from this, AGMA agreed a package to raise the capital needed for the extensions and work began in late 2009.
Two further Metrolink extensions were included in the 2007 GMPTE plans, serving StockportStockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
and the Trafford CentreThe Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre and leisure complex situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, close to the Trafford Park industrial estate and approximately 5 miles from Manchester city centre. It is the highest valued shopping centre in the...
. The Trafford line reappeared in 2010 plans now extended to new leisure and shipping developments at Port SalfordPort Salford is a freight terminal currently under construction on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal in Barton-upon-Irwell in Greater Manchester, approximately six miles from Central Manchester...
. The Trafford line would continue from PomonaPomona Metrolink station is a Manchester Metrolink station serving the Pomona Docks area which is to yet to be redeveloped. Pomona is Metrolink's only purpose built elevated tram stop, built with exposed concrete supports similar to much of the DLR....
viaduct on the Eccles line, which has been built with the expansion in mind, and will have stops serving the Manchester United home ground at Old Trafford, the Imperial War Museum NorthImperial War Museum North is a museum in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. One of the five branches of the Imperial War Museum, the museum explores the impact of modern conflicts on people and society. It is the first branch of the Imperial War Museum to be...
, The Trafford Centre and Salford RedsThe Salford City Stadium is the future home of Salford City Reds in Barton-upon-Irwell in Salford, Greater Manchester England. Salford City Council formed a joint venture company with Peel Holdings to develop and deliver the £16 million stadium, which will form part of the a £26m development close...
. These extensions are awaiting funding from private sector sources. Proposals to extend the East DidsburyDidsbury is a suburban area of the City of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Mersey, south of Manchester city centre, in the southern half of the Greater Manchester Urban Area...
line to StockportStockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
town centre have not been approved by the Department for Transport and would therefore require ministerial approval.
Concerns were raised in the original Phase 3 proposals regarding the continued reliance on a single route through the city centre, which could have become a bottleneck when the new extensions opened, with six or seven routes running over the same track. GMPTE has reacted to this by including an additional line, probably along Cross Street between Deansgate-Castlefield and Victoria with stops at the Manchester Town HallManchester Town Hall is a Victorian-era, Neo-gothic municipal building in Manchester, England. The building functions as the ceremonial headquarters of Manchester City Council and houses a number of local government departments....
and Arndale Shopping CentreManchester Arndale is a large shopping centre in Manchester, England. The centre was built in the 1970s when many other cities were constructing large malls. Manchester Arndale is the largest of a chain of Arndale Centres built across the UK in the 1960s and 1970s...
. There will be a Bus Rapid TransitBus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
route developed linking the Metrolink service in the centre of Manchester with Leigh and Salford that will not be reached by the Phase 3b extensions.
The full proposal for the Metrolink extensions, including the additional city centre crossing and Trafford Park lines, and linking with new Bus Rapid TransitBus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
routes, would take the total cost of Phase 3 to an estimated £1.2 billion, requiring revenue from the government and local council taxes. AGMA commissioned a public referendum on the plans, including the congestion charge, and this concluded on 11 December 2008. Each borough representative agreed to vote in accordance with the public vote of their residents, with a minimum 7 to 3 majority of boroughs being required for the TIF proposal to proceed. 79% of the votes were cast against the plans.
The network including all immediately planned proposed expansions would increase in size from 37 kilometres (23 mi) with 37 stops to 97.3 kilometres (60.5 mi) with at least 105 stops, and carrying 70 million passengers per year.
| 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 |
{{convinfobox|0.4|km |
mi}} |
4 |
| Additional route across Manchester city centre between Deansgate-Castlefield and Victoria |
{{convinfobox|2|km |
mi}} |
Not yet known |
| Conversion of existing railway The Oldham Loop Line was a local railway route in Greater Manchester, England, used by trains that ran from Manchester Victoria station to Rochdale railway station...
from Victoria to OldhamOldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
and RochdaleRochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
(plus some street running) |
{{convinfobox|25|km |
mi}} |
14 |
| Extension to Manchester Airport |
{{convinfobox|14.5|km |
mi}} |
12 |
| Extension to Ashton-under-Lyne Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
|
{{convinfobox|10.2|km |
mi}} |
10 |
| Extension to East Didsbury |
{{convinfobox|7.2|km |
mi}} |
10 |
Further projects
The Metrolink expansion proposals still not programmed following this announcement are:
- The Trafford Park/Trafford Centre line (dependent on private sector funding)
- The full extension of the Didsbury line into Stockport Town centre.
- The completion of the Manchester Airport loop (dependent on private sector funding)
In addition, feasibility work is continuing on possible further Metrolink expansions beyond the Phase 3 network:
- Conversion of the Marple rail service to tram-train
A tram-train is a light-rail public transport system where trams run both on an urban tramway network and on main-line railways to combine the tram's flexibility and availability and the train's greater speed...
or Metrolink operation (dependent on funding from rail operation budgets)
- Conversion of the Manchester-Atherton-Wigan line to tram-train or Metrolink operation.
- Conversion of the Manchester-Bolton line
The Manchester to Preston Line runs from the city of Manchester to Preston, Lancashire. It is largely used by commuters entering Manchester from surrounding suburbs and cities, but is also one of the main railway lines in the North West and is utilised by intercity services for Scotland and the...
to tram-train operation.
- Possible linkages between Metrolink and the East Lancashire Railway
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended...
- Tram-train usage on the Mid-Cheshire line. There have been various proposals relating to this but most suggest the tram-train would be additional to the current heavy rail service.
A 2001 official document called the Greater Manchester Strategic Rail Study by the Department for TransportIn the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
, also included several other potential routes that could be considered for potential Tram-Train or light rail working. This included an indicative route through inner South Manchester, which although drawn approximately on the reports map as heading down Kingsway, a more likely, if technically difficult route, would be the Oxford Road-Wilmslow RoadThe Wilmslow Road bus corridor is a 5.5-mile-long section of road in Manchester that carries a large number of bus services. The corridor runs from Parrs Wood to Manchester city centre along Wilmslow Road and Oxford Road, serving Didsbury, Withington, Fallowfield and Rusholme...
corridor. This route has also been raised as a potential Bus Rapid TransitBus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
route where work is currently underway to restrict part of the route to buses only. Princess Parkway was also considered at one point for the South Manchester (to Airport) route.
Criticism
Metrolink has been criticised for its concessionary fares policy, in particular for the student fare which does not extend to students over 19 years old (A National RailcardThe 16–25 Railcard is an annual card giving discounts on certain types of railway ticket in Britain. It is available to anybody aged between 16 and 25 , and certain mature students aged 26 and above, and is currently priced at £28.00...
for 16-25s and full-time students over 25 is on sale for rail journeys but is not valid on non National Rail journeys outside London such as airport express branded services, Eurostar and other light rail networks including Metrolink apart from through journeys from the National Rail network.) Metrolink is also unpopular with cyclists as bicycles are prohibited, unlike on heavy rail, and even folding bicycles must be fully covered. Metrolink provides secure storage for cycles at every stop and a review into risks, costs and attitudes to carrying cycles on trams found against any change in policy beyond rewording the description to allow soft cases for folding bicycles.
GMPTE has invested a lot of money converting popular heavy rail lines to light rail, which has attracted criticism. Critics have remarked that while trams may run more frequently than heavy rail services, they are much smaller, meaning that there is actually less capacity on the Altrincham and Bury lines than in the 1980s. They also point out that all trams call at every station, meaning that they are slower at reaching Manchester than some of the 1980s train services.
In their defence to the criticism GMPTE (now TfGM) claimed by 2006 the phase 1 lines were carrying 15 million passengers per year compared to 7 million per annum before conversion. However, it should be noted that the 15 million quoted includes passengers travelling within the city centre, in particular providing a well utilised link between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria stations, (one of the main reasons for the introduction of Metrolink) which is an additional service that Metrolink provides compared to the previous heavy rail service. It should also be noted that rail passenger figures for PTE areas are estimates and have there never been accurate figures since PTEs were formed due to the introduction of multi-modal tickets.
The conversion of the Altrincham line has meant that trains from KnutsfordKnutsford is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in North West England...
, NorthwichNorthwich is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane...
and ChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
must take a longer route to Manchester through StockportStockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
. In December 2008, some peak-time services had to be cut back further by terminating at Stockport, due to a shortage of paths through Stockport, which resurfaced criticism about conversion of the Altrincham line.
See also
- Transport in Manchester
The transport infrastructure of Manchester is built up of numerous transport modes and forms an integral part of the structure Greater Manchester and North West England...
- Manchester Corporation Tramways
Between 1901 and 1949 Manchester Corporation Tramways was the municipal operator of electric tram services in Manchester, England...
- History of Manchester Metrolink
The Manchester Metrolink is a light rail network operating in Greater Manchester, England. It has been in operation since 1992, although plans to develop a rail transit system across Manchester and beyond have existed since the 1970s.-Background:...
Maps
News - news releases about Metrolink from Transport for Greater Manchester
Other sites
{{UK light rail}}
{{Greater Manchester Metrolink stations}}
{{Transport in Greater Manchester}}
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