M5000 no. 3128 has now arrived in Manchester after it was delivered to Queens Road Depot in the standard Saturday lunchtime slot on Saturday 17th July 2021.
3128 is the eighth of this batch of 27 M5000s being built by Bombardier and comes just three weeks since the previous tram was delivered (3127 – 26th June). With the expectation that trams would be arriving every 3-4 weeks this is hopefully a good sign that schedule is now on course to be met. If so we should be on target to see all 27 in Manchester in 2022.
Of the eight trams delivered so far 3121–3125 have already entered service with 3126 and 3127 still undergoing commissioning, a process which 3128 will now also start.
A quick update, 3126 has now entered service it seems. it was spotted on the Ashton Line on July 13th.