The first set of major trackworks this summer in Manchester got underway on Saturday 22nd June. The area being attended to in this phase (which continues until Tuesday 9th July) is adjacent and across London Road meaning that there are no trams running between Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly Station throughout the period.
During the essential works the line to Ashton-under-Lyne has in effect been severed from the remainder of the Metrolink network with a service running from Piccadilly to Ashton. To operate this service 3065, 3082, 3085, 3092, 3105, 3130, 3134, 3137 and 3147 are out-based on that side of the blockade. On a visit on 24th June, 3085 was a spare tram stabled in Piccadilly Station whilst 3105+3134 and 3065+3147 were operating as doubles.
New track waits to be installed.
The Piccadilly bound line is being worked on here.
Making sure the new track is to the right gauge.
Looking across London Road towards the Piccadilly Station undercroft we can see that some track on the approach has been removed.
And similar progress is being made on the other, city bound, side. (All Photographs by Steven Hughes, 24th June 2024)
My observations on Sunday 22nd June 2024, showed their were 5 rosters running the 15 minute frequency of service between Piccadilly and Ashton-under-Lyne were:
082
130
147+065
134+105
092+137
with 085 stored in the city bound platform.
Do these units get stored in the undercroft area overnight?