Tramways reopen after trackworks

The past week has seen two tramways reopen following major trackworks with Stagecoach Supertram now operating full services across the whole network after another summer of rail replacement whilst Manchester Metrolink services are now able to travel through St Peter’s Square again following the first stage of works there.

First to reopen was Stagecoach Supertram with all final rail replacement completed in time to allow full services to resume on the Blue and Purple routes from the start of service on Tuesday 25^th August – which also happened to be the day that Nottingham Express Transit Phase Two opened. The 2015 programme of works had started back at the end of March when rail replacement was undertaken in the Hillsborough area and has continued throughout the period since with the city centre and street running sections of the Blue/Purple route around Gleadless Townend also seeing attention.

The works undertaken this year now mean that there will be no significant disruption on the Supertram network until 2018 (although there will be a minor closure close to Meadowhall South when the tram-train link to Rotherham is installed) after three successive summers of major trackworks.

To celebrate the end of the works, and the 21^st anniversary of the Supertram network a number of specially reduced fares are being introduced until October with many of these being reduced by 21%. It has also been announced that there will be an open day at the Nunnery Square Depot on Sunday 25^th October. Details of the special promotion fares can be found at http://www.supertram.com/21sale.html.

Meanwhile following the end of the first stage of transformation works at St Peter’s Square on Manchester Metrolink it will be possible for services to once again travel through this area, albeit on a single track line which means a reduced service can run. After test runs on the single track on Tuesday 25^th and Wednesday 26^th August it was confirmed that services would resume from the start of service on Friday 28^th August, in time for the busy Bank Holiday weekend.

As previously reported Metrolink have hit the shuffle button on the services to run from this date (until next summer):

Altrincham to Etihad Campus

Altrincham to Deansgate-Castlefield

Bury to Piccadilly

Bury to East Didsbury

Eccles-MediaCityUK to Piccadilly

Rochdale to Ashton-under-Lyne

Manchester Airport to Cornbrook

Work will continue at St Peter’s Square as part of the new Second City Crossing (2CC) which will see a new platform layout constructed with two island platforms constructed, one for each of the city centre lines. But for now no trams will stop here as happened during the construction work at Victoria.

Three views of the single line running through St Peter's Square and up to Deansgate-Castlefield. (Photographs by Keith Chadbourne)