The latest service performance statistics on the Manchester Metrolink system have been released on the TfGM Committee website – http://tiny.cc/6hffkw. This latest report gives details on periods 1, 2 and 3 between Monday 30th April and Sunday 22nd July 2012.
Performance
The performance as measured by Operated Mileage remained fairly constant during these periods with period 1 being at 98.65%, period 2 at 97.82% and period 3 98.84%. A number of different reasons have been given for the lost mileage including vehicle failure (period 1), cable theft (period 1), driver availability (period 2), vandalism (period 2) and vehicle reliability (period 3).
The Moving Annual Average ended period 3 at 98.76%.
Major Incidents
There were 14 major incidents during these three periods which made a major impact on the service operated by Metrolink:
Tuesday 8th May 2012: A T68 tram failed at 0949 at Radcliffe with a loss of air. Services had to be turned at Whitefield with tickets valid on local bus services. The failed tram was moved at 1039 and services through to Bury were reformed.
Wednesday 9th May 2012: From the start of service there were no trams on the Altrincham and Eccles lines because of cable theft and vandalism damage. Tickets were valid on local bus services and a replacement bus service was also put in place on both lines. Following repairs trams returned to MediaCityUK and Eccles at 0822 and then Altrincham at 0841.
Thursday 10th May 2012: A M5000 tram was involved in a RTC with a car on the Eccles line. Services between MediaCityUK and Eccles were suspended from 1336 until 1422 and during this time tickets were valid on local bus services.
Monday 21st May 2012: A driver reported at 1550 that a section of the overhead line support wire had come down close to Weaste on the inbound side of the stop. Initially passengers were advised to use local bus services until at 1650 a replacement bus service was initiated between Eccles and Trafford Bar. The service was able to resume through to Eccles at 1900.
Tuesday 22nd May 2012: More overhead line damage with a report received at 1142 of problems with the overhead on Eccles New Road. The service was suspended between
MediaCityUK and Eccles with passengers advised to use local bus services. Trams were able to return as far as Weaste from 1300 before a full service to Eccles was able to resume at 1400.
Friday 25th May 2012: A T68 failed at Brooklands inbound with a traction fault at 1543. Services were suspended between Altrincham and Piccadilly with passengers advised to use local bus services instead. Things were back to normal from 1635.
Monday 28th May 2012: At 1048 services on the Altrincham line were suspended due to a fault with a support wire on the overhead line at Old Trafford. Services from Bury and Eccles ran into Piccadilly and those from St Werburgh’s Road went to Victoria. As normal passengers were told to use their tickets on local bus services and a replacement bus service was also used. Repairs were made and services resumed to Altrincham from 1600.
Tuesday 5th June 2012: A point failure at Irk Valley Junction at 0900 saw services suspended on the Bury line. The Bury service was turned at Crumpsall and tickets were able to be used on local bus services. Normal services resumed on the Bury line from 1219.
Saturday 16th June 2012: The service on the Oldham line was suspended from 0706 after a signaling failure in the control room. Local bus services accepted Metrolink tickets until 0845 when normal service was resumed.
Wednesday 20th June 2012: At 0600 services on the Bury line were suspended between Whitefield and Crumpsall due to attempted cable theft and vandalism to the overhead at Bowker Vale. Services operated between Bury and Whitefield and Piccadilly and Crumpsall with buses bridging the gap whilst repairs were made. Services resumed fully on the Bury line from 1815.
Monday 25th June 2012: At 1920 Irk Valley Junction failed which meant that the Oldham line was completed suspended, trams from Bury could only run as far as Crumpsall and those from St Werburgh’s Road were diverted to Piccadilly and terminated. Normal services resumed at 1950.
Monday 25th June 2012: Less than an hour after things had got back to normal from the previous issue a tram failed at 2035 at Trafford Bar outbound with a complete loss of power. The failed tram was finally moved at 2120 and services resumed.
Tuesday 26th June 2012: The Irk Valley Junction failed again at 0920 with the same service pattern as the previous day put into place. This time the problem was sorted a lot quicker and normal service was resumed by 0950.
Friday 6th July 2012: At 1046 services through High Street in the City Centre were suspended as it was closed by the Police due to an incident. Trams from Bury and Oldham were terminated at Victoria and services from Altrincham, St Werburgh’s Road and Eccles/MediaCityUK went as far as Piccadilly. The Police finally reopened High Street at 2028 after which normal services were reintroduced.
Trams Out of Service
Just four trams spent periods of time out of service during these periods, all of them T68As:
2002 – taken out of service on 18th June for attention under the Vehicle
Modification Programme returning to service on 27th July 2012.
2003 – taken out of service on 19th May for attention under the Vehicle
Modification Programme returning to service on 16th June 2012.
2005 – taken out of service on 21st April for attention under the Vehicle
Modification Programme returning to service on 19th May 2012.
2006 – taken out of service on 30th July for attention under the Vehicle
Modification Programme and since the end of period 3 has returned to service.
Complaints
619 complaints were received in period 1, 515 in period 2 and 707 in period 3. 64% of the total complaints were, as usual, because of service disruptions.
The full report can be downloaded at http://www.transportforgreatermanchestercommittee.gov.uk/download/4419/item_05_metrolink_performance