It is expected that the first section of the Second City Crossing (2CC) will be open to trams by Christmas with good progress being made on the stop at Exchange Square. When the stop is completed extra Metrolink services will run between Shaw and Crompton, Oldham and the city centre ahead of the full 2CC being completed in 2017.
Work on the stop at Exchange Square, which is on Corporation Street outside the Arndale Centre, is currently progressing with a fully accessible ramp now substantially complete. Tracks have been laid either side of the island platform and a striking coloured steel and glass canopy – with four floating overlapping glazed roof panels – having also been installed. The on stop furniture (such as the passenger information displays and seating) will be integrated into polished concrete columns to give the stop a clean, uncluttered design.
As part of the preparations for the opening of this section of line the overhead is due to be switched on from Monday 26th October with the first gauging runs expected to follow within the next few weeks.
Peter Cushing, TfGM’s Metrolink Director, said: “Thanks to European funding we’ve fast-tracked work to lay new Second City Crossing tracks between Manchester Victoria and Exchange Square, where the new stop is really taking shape. All along we’ve been hoping to get the Exchange Square stop up and running before Christmas, and it’s great to see we’re on track to meet that target. The new stop will be a great addition to this lively area of the city and we look forward to helping even more people come into the very heart of Manchester.”
The first part of the Second City Crossing to open will be between Victoria – with the junction now connected – and Exchange Square with a new service expected to initially run from Shaw and Crompton, although full details of the new service have yet to be formally revealed.
can’t wait for the 1st part of the second city crossing to open to passengers very soon
Nor can I. A 6 minute frequency to Shaw might mean that those of us going beyond might be able to get a seat on the Rochdale ones! Having said that, I suspect that the double trams currently operating on the line will disappear. Good to see that the system has been a victim of its own success though.
First test trams this Sunday early hours