One of the lines currently under construction as part of the plans for a major expansion of the Manchester Metrolink system is that to Manchester Airport. Due to open in 2016 and leaving the South Manchester line shortly after the St Werburgh’s Road stop work is progressing well with a new viaduct currently being constructed over the River Mersey and now starting to take shape.
This viaduct is considered to be one of the key structures on the route to the Airport and will carry the tramway not only over the River but also its flood plain. It is a special design which will allow wildlife to inhabit the area underneath it and to allow plants to regrow.
Elsewhere on the line tracklaying has commenced and some of the 15 new stops have also had work started on them. The line will be nine miles in length and is currently planned to open in summer 2016 although as with all projects of this kind this timeframe may change. A service should run through to the Airport every 12 minutes.
Cllr Andrew Fender, Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, said: “It’s great to see work progressing so well on the Airport line. The Mersey Valley viaduct is a major piece of infrastructure on the route, so the start of its construction is a milestone for the project. Once the line is complete, it will provide a fast, efficient and environmentally friendly public transport link to employment, education and leisure. It will connect Wythenshawe with not only the major employment centre of the Airport, but also with Manchester city centre and beyond, and will support regeneration along the route.”
Transport for Greater Manchester’s Metrolink Director, Philip Purdy, added: “The new line to Manchester Airport is all part of the wider expansion of Metrolink, which will see the network treble in size by 2016 to become the largest light rail network in the UK. So far, a lot of the work people have seen along the route has been to divert and protect utilities such as gas, electricity and water, so that future tram services won’t be affected
by utility maintenance or repairs – but now we’re really into the construction phase of the project. People will now be starting to see not only structures like the new viaduct taking shape, but also stops being built and track being laid. The building of a new Metrolink line is a major undertaking and we’re grateful for the patience and understanding of local people during the construction phase. We’ll do our best to keep disruption to a minimum, and don’t forget that local businesses along the route will remain open throughout.”
It’s good to see work so far advanced on a line that’s not due to open for another 4 years, but it’s a pity they can’t get round to finishing the Droylsden line and Oldham-Rochdale which were due to open months ago. A couple of months ago there were 2 weeks of night-time test running to Droylsden, since then no news, no information and no sign of any further testing progress, let alone an opening date. Oldham-Rochdale overheads energised 2 weeks ago according to the local newspaper yet no sign of any testing at all and again no information. I would imagine those in charge at TfGM must be in line for top jobs with the Secret Service.
The running of a couple of nights worth of gauging trials to Droylsden is only a preliminary step towards a comprehensive set of testing followed by driver training and shadow running prior to approval to opening. There is a lot of back room preparation to do before commercial operation. As for Rochdale as I am sure you would agree once the wire is up it needs to be energised to help ensure it stays up. That doesn’t mean that test running will happen straight away. The website still points to both lines opening by the end of 2012 so hopefully that will happen.
Hopefully the Airport line can be finished ahead of 4 years. It really would be nice to receive more detailed and regular updates in respect of new lines. I would love to know when there is likely to be more movement on the Droylesden line which has appeared to be complete for some time now.
The tramway under construction along Mauldeth Road West and Hardy Lane is actually already over 80 years late! The central reservation in Mauldeth Road West and extreme width of Hardy Lane were designed to accommodate an express tramway to Sale planned by Manchester Corporation Tramways in the late 1920s. However, a new general manager appointed following the death of his predecessor decided to scrap rather than extend Manchester’s first generation tramways, so the extension was never built.