Transport for Greater Manchester have revealed that the final 20 M5000s currently on order from Bombardier are going to have an extra eight seats each following passenger feedback. One of main complaints from passengers following the introduction of the M5000s was that they had a lot less seats than the T68s they are now going to replace and TfGM are hoping that these eight extra seats will help to please some passengers, although they will still have significantly less seats than the vehicles they are replacing.
M5000s 3075–3094 were ordered earlier this year to complete the replacement programme of the T68s and T68As which are considered to be much more unreliable with a disruptive failure in service four times more likely to occur on one of these. It is intended that they will be delivered between 2014 and 2015 by which time the T68s will be a distant memory for Manchester Metrolink.
The new M5000s will now have 60 seats rather than the 52 on the initial orders but this still compares badly to the T68s which have 84 seats and the T68As which have 82.
Still in my opinion very poor. However what really needs sorting out is the ride quality on the Bury line. To say you are rocked side ways continously would be an understatement. It truly is abysmal, so not only now do we have to put up with less seats we also have a terrible ride.
TFgm have failed to reply on many occassions yet no response !
Here! Here! I couldn`t agree more with your comments, if you bought a car with ride quality that bad you would take it back to the garage! The M5000 looks nice enough but the poor ride and lack of seats lets it down. Manchester have literally bought themselves a lemon with this design! All the passengers I speak to agree as well!
interesting but when I counted seats in T68/68a Icounted 86 seats, have they been altered or did I miscount in 2001! Why cannot TfGM install the eight extra seats in the other 74? Better still fit an extra section in the middle similar to Blackpool with 24 seats in so eight plus 24 equals 32 plus existing 52 equals 84 why not?
It all depends how the extra seats are going to be configured in the last 20 M5000s, it might not be as simple as you would think. There is no chance of having an extra middle section as the platforms would not be long enough to enable double units to run if they were to do that.
It’s not the ride quality of the M5000s that is at fault on the Bury line, it’s the track alignment.
From Oldham, the ride quality is fine. I’ve been shaken side to side on the old T68s on the Bury line.
The only thing wrong with the M5000s is that they should have been originally designed with centre sections and platforms should have been built long enough.
Also how often have anyone seen a double M5000. I have only seen one and that was during the Olmpics period.
It is a sleight of hand for transport operators to quote capacity as inclusive of standing space. Given a choice the public would always vote for more seating and less standing space. I too am concerned about the safety of emergency stops with a majority of passengers standing. At least transverse seats can act like the old football terrace crowd barriers and moderate the piling up of bodies.
I agree with the comments regarding far too few seats on the new M5000 trams.
I travelled from Manchester Victoria yesterday (Nov. 15 )at about 5.30 p.m. The tram (3037) was crush loaded. I have a long term disability but was forced to stand (lean) for the journey to Hollinwood. Priority seats were occupied by selfish younger passengers nearly all of whom were deeply engrossed in their Kindles or mobile ‘phones, so much so that they never even looked up.
I see this lack of seats as regrettable; the new vehicles should have at least 70 seats or preferably 80 plus similar to the T68s. Why don’t they retro fit more seats now knowing the situation is unsatisfactory? Even the old Blackpool Coronation trams had seats for 56 and they were single unit vehicles. I am reminded too much of the Paris Underground; shove as many people as possible into a restricted space-even if it entails forcing them to stand.