Manchester Metrolink services were briefly suspended on Monday 14th December after damage to pantographs on some trams was identified – coming just 48 hours after damage to the overhead wires at Cornbrook. Equipment has recently been installed to monitor trams and this identified the problems of some pantographs which led to the decision by KeolisAmey Metrolink to briefly suspend all services while an investigation took place.
A full inspection of the fleet took place as a result of this issue which saw five trams withdrawn from service for either a further detailed inspection or for repairs to be undertaken.
Speaking about the issue Danny Vaughan, TfGM Head of Metrolink, said: “I’d like to apologise to anyone whose journey was disrupted today, after the operator took the decision, rightly, to briefly pause services in order to inspect all trams on the network. We’ve recently installed some equipment that is specifically intended to monitor the trams and identify any issues, which is how the damage was first identified. While there was, regrettably, some disruption, the operator has worked hard to minimise this. I’d like to reassure passengers that their safety is our top priority and we’ve withdrawn some trams from service for repair and to limit any further disruption and damage to other vehicles.”
Services resumed during mid-afternoon although delays were still experienced as the full service was reformed.