Award winning partnership awarded Trafford Park Metrolink line

Transport for Greater Manchester are to continue their collaboration with MPact Thales (MPT) and WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff on the Trafford Park extension of Manchester Metrolink it has been announced. This same partnership has already successfully delivered extensions to MediaCityUK, Manchester Airport, Ashton-under-Lyne, East Didsbury, Oldham and Rochdale and has also been involved in the Second City Crossing due to open in early 2017.

The line to Trafford Park will run for 3.4 miles (5.5km) and will leave the current Eccles line at Pomona before calling at six new stops ahead of terminating at the intu Trafford Centre. Amongst the key locations the tram will stop at are Wharfside (close to Manchester United’s Old Trafford) and the Imperial War Museum North.

Peter Cushing, TfGM Metrolink Director, said: “Together we have developed a tried and tested approach to delivering our award winning expansion programme. We have achieved a phenomenal amount since 2008 with bigger and better things still to come so I’m pleased our award winning partnership will continue with the expansion of the Trafford Park line.”

MPT is a consortium of Volker Rail, Laing O’Rourke and Thales. Volker Rail and Laing O’Rourke will continue to be responsible for the design and construction of the civil engineering and the track while Thales will deliver the tram operating systems and WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff will continue as TfGM’s Delivery Partner.

Bryan Glass, MPT’s joint venture board director, said: “The Laing O’Rourke, VolkerRail and Thales MPT consortium has successfully delivered three main contract extensions for Manchester Metrolink with the team on schedule to complete the Second City Crossing early next year. We are therefore delighted that TfGM has appointed us as a trusted partner to deliver the latest phase of the Metrolink’s growth taking the line through Trafford Park to the Trafford Centre.”