It will be another summer of major rail replacement works on Manchester Metrolink with work due to take place at various locations in the city centre starting in June and continuing through until September (although not constant and service changes will change to reflect where the work is happening).
Almost £150 million will be invested on maintain and upgrading the entire Metrolink network in the three years until 2027. The work is necessary to ensure the tram system remains safe, reliable and accessible and funding for this comes from the government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement.
As previously announced work will get underway on Bank Holiday Monday 6th May where the broken rail which has prevented trams from running between Exchange Square and Victoria since January will be replaced. This will then enable the full service via 2CC to be resumed, including the East Didsbury to Shaw & Crompton service giving a 6 minute frequency between the two stops at peak times.
Then in the summer there will be four main phases of work taking place:
London Road – 22nd June to 9th July
No trams between Piccadilly and Piccadilly Gardens
Shudehill – 24th July to 7th August
No trams between Piccadilly Gardens and Victoria or St Peter’s Square
Piccadilly Gardens (phase 1) – 4th August to 19th August
No trams between Piccadilly Gardens and Victoria or St Peter’s Square and Victoria
Piccadilly Gardens (phase 2) – August to 17th September
No trams between Piccadilly Gardens and St Peter’s Square or between St Peter’s Square and Victoria
Danny Vaughan, TfGM’s Head of Metrolink, said: “Metrolink has been serving Greater Manchester for over 30 years with thousands of journeys being made by tram every day of the week.
“As the biggest light rail system in the country, it’s hugely important that we keep investing in the network to ensure it remains a safe, reliable and accessible way to travel for years to come.
“Our plans are a big step to doing just that – and we will be doing everything we can to keep disruption to a minimum, with replacement bus services and signed diversions for vehicles and pedestrians.
“While this essential work is ongoing, I would also encourage people to plan ahead and check our website for the latest travel information before setting off.”
- Full details of the works planned are available on the TfGM website at https://tfgm.com/tram-improvement-works
The information lifted from the press release https://news.tfgm.com/press-releases/7b271c78-5186-46d9-b093-9d9721eac5b7/works-to-ensure-tram-journeys-remain-safe-reliable-and-accessible-planned-for-summer (including a missing start date for Piccadilly Gardens phase 2) does not tally with the information given at https://tfgm.com/tram-improvement-works – particularly so far as August is concerned. So who knows what will actually happen.
And when works are stated to be ‘to’ a given date – is that the last day of the works, or the day after the works have finished?