Market Street stop in Manchester City Centre is set to receive a makeover to improve its appearance and to make it easier for passengers to circulate around the stop. The work will start from 2000 on Friday 13th February with the first phase seeing the stop closed to passengers until Saturday 21st February (this phase has been timed to coincide with the final works at Victoria).
It is planned that the three older bus-style shelters will be removed from the stop and will eventually be replaced by a single structure, but this will not be in place until the spring so it seems there will be a period with no shelter at all for passengers. A new improved yorkstone paving finish will also be included to give the stop a similar look to Deansgate-Castlefield.
Peter Cushing, Transport for Greater Manchester’s Metrolink Director, commented: “Market Street is one of the busiest stops on the tram network and is the next in line for a new-look. As there’s no room to expand it, we are keen to make sure the platform is as streamlined and easy to move around as possible while still offering shelter from the elements. We’re taking advantage of the service changes while the Victoria stop reopens to make a start on this work and lessen the impact on our customers. I’d like to thank customers for bearing with us while we make these improvements to their stop.”
Meanwhile despite fears that a lot of work is still required at Victoria ahead of its reopening Transport for Greater Manchester have confirmed that it is still to re-open on Wednesday 18th February. Between Saturday 14th and Tuesday 17th February no trams will operate through Victoria (including the Rochdale line and Bury-Altrincham direct services which had been running through the worksite) and then from Wednesday 18th February services from Bury and Rochdale will terminate at Victoria. A full service is then scheduled to operate from Saturday 21st February.
It will certainly put extra pressure on an already crowded Peters Square,Picc Gardens and Shudehill platforms.Good to see they are addressing the problem of the shelters.Market st was never the best place to wait for a tram in the rain.
If it’s open again by the 21st, then it won’t put any pressure on any other stops – the line from Victoria to Picc Gardens (including Shudehill and Market Street stops) is closed until 21st anyway for the redualling and reopening of Victoria.
On the subject of tram stops getting a makeover, I was pleased to hear Mr Cushing mention on BBC GMR Radio the other day, that they are ‘looking’ at the problem of the biting cross winds at Cornbrook. I am sure we all agree, being so exposed, it can be a very uncomfortable place to stand waiting for a tram, even more so if it is raining, and that better protection for passengers from the elements is much needed.