Metrolink Second City Crossing approved

It has been announced that the Second City Crossing (2CC) for Manchester Metrolink has been approved by the Department for Transport. The route – which is necessary to allow all of the extra tram services run through Manchester city centre – will leave the current route just after St Peter’s Square and travel along Princess Street, Cross Street and Corporation Street before re-joining the line just before Victoria.

Transport for Greater Manchester can now finalise arrangements for delivering the scheme which will see a new enlarged tramstop constructed in St Peter’s Square and a brand new stop built in Exchange Square. As part of the approval from the government special Listed Buildings Consent has also been given by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Cllr Andrew Fender, Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, said: “This is fantastic news and means we can now press ahead with developing the detail of the delivery programme, appointing a contractor and getting work started as soon as possible. By providing the necessary capacity, flexibility and reliability for the future tram network to operate, the second city crossing will play a vital role in helping to build a strong and prosperous economy for Greater Manchester. It’s an essential part of the expansion programme which also complements the city’s redevelopment of St Peter’s Square – so this really is excellent news.”

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5 Responses to Metrolink Second City Crossing approved

  1. Daniel says:

    Great news, shame that in Sheffield we don’t see this kind of development too!

  2. Clifford Stead says:

    It could be worse Daniel, you could live in Leeds! Very frustrating having no trams at all. I`m delighted for Manchester, this second crossing will make a huge difference.

  3. Nigel Pennick says:

    With this and Blackpool’s extension progressing, perhaps the government’s “Green Light For Light Rail has been taken seriously.

  4. tram man says:

    All we need now is a second cornbrook crossing.Its going to get even more congested around cornbrook when future lines open,such as the
    airport and proposed Trafford centre.

  5. John Stewart says:

    Even with the second city crossing Metrolink will be prone to blockage because it will have only one route from St. Peter’s Square to Cornbrook and, a slightly lesser risk, just one from Victoria to Queen’s Road. Modern Brithish tramways all seem to have a vunerable central section where vehicle breakdown or track fault can paralyse the whole service; we are not building resilient networks.

    The most impressive of these is in Melbourne where the grid street pattern allows almost unlimited diversion options. I appreciate that putting all services through the commercial centre makes the best business case but it can lead to passenger frustration when all seizes up. Perhaps the third inner-city route through Salford should be examined more seriously.

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