It looks like the proposed extension of Manchester Metrolink to the Trafford Centre may be about to get the go-ahead with funding coming through the “Earnback” scheme. The Metrolink extension is one of two transport schemes which Greater Manchester’s Local Enterprise Partnership would like to see funded in this way initially.
Greater Manchester is the first area in the country who have reached agreement with the government on the “earnback” deal which enables them to invest in projects they feel are the most important. When these projects lead to extra tax revenues being generated Greater Manchester can then claim up to £30 million more to put into new projects.
Following discussions with the ten town halls which make up Greater Manchester the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership would like to see the Trafford Centre Metrolink line and a road scheme which would link the A6 at Hazel Grove to Manchester Airport.
It appears that the road scheme is the top priority for the area but after this is funded the Metrolink line should soon follow. However, like all schemes such as this it is likely to be sometime in the future before the plans are confirmed, funded and constructed started.
I have two schools of thought on this one.The first one is that they should have done it ten years ago,it would be a licence to print money.Its been crying out for a light rail system.To get from my home town of stockport by bus takes over an hour,stopping at every lamp post.Even by car is not ideal,as most of the times the roads around the Trafford centre are gridlocked.
My other school of thought,is that I don’t think metrolink could have copped with the increased traffic ten years ago.They would have probably bought more T68a’s and we all know how reliable they are.At least they did plan ahead when they built the eccles line and built a spur at pamona ready for the Trafford centre.
The journey time tram vs bus is an interesting one. I catch the Rochdale tram from Market Street in Manchester to Newhey in the evenings. It takes 40 minutes. The bus (181 or 182) departs from nearby Piccadilly Gardens, and to the stop nearest my home takes 52 minutes. To walk home from Newhey tram stop takes 12 minutes, from the aforementioned bus stop the walking time is 2 minutes! So overall journey time is more or less exactly the same, but at least the tram isn’t bumping and rattling over one pothole after another. But I find it surprising that with between 40 and 50 sets of traffic lights and about 30 bus stops (and from my rare experiences on it the bus stops at most of them) the journey is only 12 minutes longer than a tram calling at 13 stops. Of course, during the daytime you can add about 10 minutes to the bus journey.
This will only work when the current signalling at Cornbrook is swept away! The current permitted headway only allows a tram every two minutes and we currently have 5 in 12 minutes in each direction. The ‘spare’ two minutes every 12 has to be kept ‘spare’ to allow for the regular delays and recovery there from!
Not long to wait for TMS through Cornbrook. Commissioning is due during July.
Cornbrook is certainly the sticking point.Even when tms is commissioned,will it be able to cope with all the future extensions?.We will have the airport,altrincham,east didsbury,eccles and media city all converging onto a single line.There is a lot resting on tms through cornbrook.There is talk about using six vehicles without a.t.s and v.r.s currently stored at old Trafford and use them on the media city shuttle.
Hmmm, I like the present hiatus as I get a tram from Exchange Quay direct into the city every 6 minutes. Still, at least when the Cornbrook to Piccadilly shuttle does start it will mean that all the network maps are correct for the first time in two years!
Why is there now only one seat at the Manchester Market Street stop
This makes it hard for elderly customers who have difficulty
standing for certain periods of time.There used to be two seats
at this stop what has happened to the other one ?