What is about the day after we run an article on Manchester Metrolink’s M5000s saying so-and-so hasn’t entered service yet?! We recently reported on the delivery of 3132 to Queen’s Road Depot on 16th October and said at the time how 3131 had yet to enter service – well now it has!
The first reports of 3131 in service were made on Wednesday 20th October with the tram being allocated to the Bury to Piccadilly service, working solo.
3131 had been delivered to Manchester back on 25th September and since then has undergone the usual process of being commissioned and then going through mileage accumulation. From delivery to entering service has taken a little over three weeks which seems to be a fairly standard timeframe for new trams at the moment.
Of the other M5000s which have been delivered of this new batch, 3132 remains to be commissioned for service (having only arrived on 16th October) with all others (3121–3130) having been used in passenger service already.
One other piece of M5000 news not previously reported is the change of advert design for 3075. Advertising The Trafford Centre since July 2021 the tram continues to advertise the same sponsor but during September the vinyls were changed with the Summer Social promotion having now been replaced by vinyls with the slogan “The Swag is Back”.