Transport for Greater Manchester have confirmed that the Metrolink line through St Peter’s Square will be closed completely for 10 weeks starting on Sunday 28th June as part of the major transformation works at this stop. This will be the first stage of the 14 month project which will see a newly enlarged tramstop constructed with platforms for both the current city centre line and the Second City Crossing due for completion in 2017.
No tram services will run through St Peter’s Square from Sunday 28th June until the end of August and then from the end of August for 10 months reduced services will run on a single line section through St Peter’s Square before a final 8 week closure in summer 2016 to complete the work. In total services will be disrupted for 14 months.
From Sunday 28th June to the end of August services will run as follows:
Altrincham to Deansgate-Castlefield: every 12 minutes using double trams
Altrincham to Cornbrook: peak service only every 12 minutes using single trams
Bury to Piccadilly: 6 minute services (0700 to 2000 Monday to Friday, 0900-2000 Saturday) and 12 minute service at all other times. Some double trams will run at peak times.
East Didsbury to Deansgate-Castlefield: 12 minute service with double trams during the peak
Eccles to Deansgate-Castlefield via MediaCityUK: 12 minute service with double trams
Manchester Airport to Cornbrook: 12 minute service with single trams
Rochdale Town Centre to Ashton-under-Lyne: 12 minute service with single trams
In addition a Metrolink shuttle bus service will run from Cornbrook to Piccadilly and the Metroshuttle bus service will be running from Deansgate-Castlefield.
The initial stage of work will see changes to track and infrastructure to allow trams to continue running through St Peter’s Square during the major 10 month disruption. By the end of summer 2016 there will be a new, expanded stop built closer to the Cenotaph. This will have two new island platforms and two sets of tracks in each direction to allow for both city centre crossings.
Peter Cushing, Metrolink Director at TfGM, said: “We’re completely rebuilding the St Peter’s Square stop and all our planning has been geared towards limiting the impact, as far as possible, on our customers and the services we offer. We need to stop running trams run through St Peter’s Square at the start and end of the construction work – so we’ve planned this during the quieter summer months. Over eight weeks this summer we’ll be carrying out works to make sure we can keep trams running on a single line through the square for the vast majority of the work programme. It’s all geared towards keeping connections for our customers across the city for people to get to work, shops, and travel to big events or enjoy a night out. Make no mistake, it’s a hugely complex and challenging construction project, but I’m confident we’ve planned the right services to keep reliable, frequent tram links across the city.”
You could say its just a reverse of the Victoria shutdown.This time the south side has no service through to Picc.T.F.G.M are really spoiling the residents of Ashton,so far they have have a through service to Bury,then Eccles and now Rochdale.Where next? Altrincham, the worlds their oyster.My only concern is can a single unit 12 minute service cope from Rochdale to Ashton.
Single trams certainly won’t cope on the Rochdale line. Try catching a tram at about 1700 from the city centre to Rochdale. I have done that once and will not be repeating the experience. I joined at Cornbrook where there was standing room only, by the time it got to Victoria it was literally crush loading, and remained standing room only to Oldham. I am told it is a regular occurrence. There are 6 or 7 double on the Rochdale line which I believe are arranged for the convenience of the East Didsbury line passengers, not the Rochdale ones.
It was the same in the mornings between Rochdale & Manchester 8.00am to 10am before they put doubles on.
By the time they got to Oldham Mumps it was standing only and by Newton Heath & Moston was crush loaded.
What’s so special about South of Manchester that everything is geared up for them.
Is only between July and end of August that single trams will run on Rochdale to Ashton service, when single line opens at St Peter Square Rochdale to Ashton service will then have mixes of single and double trams running on that route.
It looks like Trafford depot are running the loins share of the services.Queens road are only running two services,so there should be a few spare vehicles to make a few doubles up for the Rochdale line.I don’t think Eccles to Deansgate warrents a double unit all day till end of service.From the drivers point of view there’s nothing worse than dragging round an empty double unit till one o’clock in the morning.
Also I have just seen the visuals for St Peters square on the T.F.G.M website,doesnt look very exciting,just a pedestrian area with trams running through it.
I presume the Eccles services are doubles to make up for there being no Media City services as the Eccles trams are running via Media City
It is more than a quarter century since Manchester started building a tramway and, like the rest of British operators, still seem to have little idea how to progress such work. I quote from T&UT, June 2014, in which a description of Melbourne Tramways development describes the reconstruction of a major junction on a par with St. Peters Square.
Construction works were planned during a 74-day period coinciding with 2013 Easter weekend and local school holidays. During the seven-week preparatory period, disruption to the local community was minimised by closing the inner two lanes of St Kilda Road. The major works were carried out in two stages by Coleman Rail and associated sub-contractors (traffic signals, landscaping) in conjunction with Yarra Trams:
) Full Road Closure: 29 March to 3 April. Removal of existing infrastructure and installation of new tracks, resurfacing of the road pavement, overhead wiring and traffic signals.
) Partial Road Closure: 3 April to L2 April
Construction of the platforms, overhead wiring infrastructure, traffic signals and final road surfacing. Yarra Trams procured long-lead time items and managed public relations including media releases and service
disruption signage. St Kilda Road was closed to all traffic for four
days over the Easter weekend, with two traffic lanes in each direction along St Kilda Road kept open during the next ten days. To facilitate
southbound trams terminating and returning to the city, a temporary tram crossover was installed north of the works zone. Tram services along St Kilda Road, Park Street and Domain Road were terminated at locations adjacent to the site of works and passengers were routed around the works zone. For passengers with reduced mobility, a wheelchair-accessible minibus operated between the two nearest accessible tram stops for passengers travelling on St Kilda Road services.
In other words, 15 days of partial tramway disruption. When will we start learning from experts?
Well said Bob.
Easpecially when you consider that St. Peter’s Square itself is already closed to traiic apart from the trams.