Cars drive onto Metrolink tracks four times in a week

It is silly season in Manchester with four cars driving onto Metrolink tracks on various parts of the network in the past week causing disruption and leading to the almost unprecedented step of Transport for Greater Manchester releasing a statement urging motorists to be careful when driving.

Three of the four incidents have been at Holt Town on the Ashton-under-Lyne line – a location which has also seen previous “car on track” incidents – and has led TfGM to confirm that they are holding an assessment into this location to see if there is anything else which can be done to prevent cars from accessing the tram tracks. All areas on Metrolink where motorists could possibly get “confused” at the road layout and end up where they shouldn’t be have signs and road markings which are “based on industry standard principles and best practice, meet all legislative guidelines and follow a thorough process of hazard and risk assessment”. Despite this it seems some motorists in Greater Manchester are unable to work out where they should go and so RATP Dev are looking at any improvements they could make.

The three incidents at Holt Town occurred on Saturday 9th (at approximately 0800), Tuesday 12th January (a car was spotted on the tracks at 0630) and Wednesday 13th January (causing a two and half hour period of disruption just ahead of a Manchester City home fixture at a time when there was also heavy road traffic).

And to just add a bit of variety on Friday 15th January a car got stuck on the Airport line at the Benchill stop with trams being disrupted between 1000 and 1040 whilst it was removed.

Speaking ahead of this latest incident Peter Cushing, Transport for Greater Manchester’s Metrolink Director, commented: “It’s incredibly frustrating when things like this happen, not least for those passengers whose journey was delayed and who arrived home late, to the match or elsewhere. Considering how busy the roads on the network are, and how many cars use them on any given day, it is obvious that the vast majority of motorists are able to navigate these junctions without incident. That said, it would be remiss not to acknowledge that this is an issue for some drivers and regardless of how small that percentage is, each time a car drives onto the tracks there is a ripple effect that impacts other motorists, passengers and staff. As a belt and braces approach the operator is in the process of doing a thorough assessment at the location.”

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13 Responses to Cars drive onto Metrolink tracks four times in a week

  1. mike stone says:

    Is grass the answer? It would make it much clearer that it isn’t a road and possibly be easier to drive off than any rutted or similar concrete surface.

  2. David Butterworth says:

    Yet more evidence of the antics of witless motorists, and of driving ‘without due care and attention’. They should have their licences revoked and be made to retake the driving test. That would surely concentrate their minds.

  3. John Gilbert says:

    Gormless fools!

  4. Nigel Pennick says:

    Regarding earlier comments about possible satnav-caused driving into tramways, perhaps now is the time someone tested satnav behaviour at the junctions where motorists have fouled tramways, and built up a database of such incidents.

  5. Bill Barlow says:

    Maybe Manchester should use the alternative Red no entry roadsigns with except tram wording below. Drivers may take more notice of it as they don’t appear to understand the blue tram only sign.

    • tom says:

      It does now they have been sanctioned for use in manchester by Daft! The junction is badly designed. Most of these incursions occur during the hours of darkness. The lights reflecting off the rails draw the eye onto the reserved tramway and not along the road! It’s easy to see why it keeps occurring if you’ve driven around there at night!

    • John Stewart says:

      This ignorance is widespread. Whilst most drivers know that red circular signs prohibit something, many don’t seem to know that blue circular signs only allow what is represented on the signs to proceed.

  6. Michael says:

    Maybe use something similar to the uneven wooden surfaces that are used between tracks to deter pedestrians? Also, we never hear of reasons that errant motorists give for having driven onto tramway reservations.

  7. Clifford Stead says:

    That grass surface Birmingham have used near Snow Hill could work in those locations.

  8. Erik Ickerbobs says:

    They should put barriers or lights to not get em on the tracks. The 216, 217 and 231 run around Holt Town, don’t they?

  9. Phil Hart says:

    Put stingers down that should deter them. Stop any insurance invalid for any damage and recovery and make them pay out of their own pockets. And like someone else said charge them for driving without due care & attention.

    I was caught up in the Airport line incident on Friday. When asked about the inconvenience of all the passengers they reply was “So What!”. All the driver was concerned about was the damage to the car. The Numpty!

  10. Alan Kirkman says:

    If they can drive into subway terminals over ballasted track in a tram tunnel as one recently did in Toronto I really don’t know what the answer is but the problem is actually worldwide.

  11. Erik Ickerbobs says:

    Pity not all cars have beepy beepies.

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