M5000 3051 enters service as more new trams arrive in Manchester

3051 has become the latest M5000 to enter passenger service on Manchester Metrolink meaning that there are currently 56 of the trams available to operate on the network. Whilst 3051 has entered service the latest examples have been delivered to Queen’s Road depot with trams up to 3070 now in Manchester. This leaves just 24 more of the current order of M5000s to arrive.

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6 Responses to M5000 3051 enters service as more new trams arrive in Manchester

  1. tram man says:

    It also looks like 3051 will be the last M5000 to be modified using A.T.S equipment from T68’s.Once T.M.S is working from g-mex to old Trafford,there is no requirement for A.T.S on the eccles and media city lines.Which will free up the rest of the M5000 which are currently standing spare at old Trafford.This will of course mean changes to the rosters,as they will have to run eccles or media city from old Trafford depot.

    • Ken Walker says:

      So what areas will have operational TMS after this weekend? Is it operational on the whole of the Eccles/Media City route already, and is the East Didsbury line fully TMS or just the depot access?
      It is good to see progress being made at last towards Metrolink becoming the flagship system that it was meant to be.

      • freel07 says:

        I don’t think this weekend will see any changes, there is supposed to be another possession next weekend to complete the job. Its quite a big changeover and a complex area.

        Once Cornbrook to Deansgate Castlefield is done The TMS areas will be Corporation Street to Eccles / MediaCityUK, Trafford Bar and Droylsden. There will be a short break through the junction at Trafford Bar then TMS to East Didsbury. There will be a break from Corporation St to Monsall on the Rochdale Line then TMS in varying degrees through to Rochdale (the Rochdale Line has an odd mix of TMS and interim signalling at present). Trafford Bar to Altrincham and Victoria to Bury will still be block signalled. There is still a lot of catching up to do to remove the various temporary bits that were commissioned to allow various extensions to open. Even Piccadilly isn’t in its final form yet.

    • freel07 says:

      The use of unmodified M5000s will expand even further once Ashton and Eccles are linked when Victoria closes. Of course the prerequisite is the conversion of Trafford Bar junction which isn’t included in the current commissioning.

  2. tram man says:

    Another fact has just come to mind regarding 3051.Apart from being probably the last vehicle to receive A.T.S from a T68,it has spent the last few months being rebuilt after being stripped of spares to put 3046 back on the road,which was stripped to put 3031 back on the road.The spares for 3051 have come from 3062 which at the moment stands inside old Trafford minus most of its doors and other equipment.I suspect we won’t see 3062 in service for some time yet.

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