More Metrolink extension work leads to road closure

Posted on Wednesday 4 April 2012 by Gareth Prior

Work on the extension of Manchester Metrolink to Oldham and Rochdale is continuing to progress with the level crossing at Beal Lane due to attended to over the Easter weekend. As a result of this work Beal Lane will be closed to all traffic between Friday 6th and Monday 9th April with traffic diversions being put into place. During this period the level crossing panels will also be removed and reinstalled. The line to Rochdale is due to open sometime in 2012 but no confirmation has been given as to when this will occur with the continued delays with introducing the TMS equipment.

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3 Responses to More Metrolink extension work leads to road closure

  1. Ken Walker says:
    Wednesday 4 April 2012 at 20:21

    It’s only a year since this road was closed for over a month (more than twice the planned 2-week closure) for the track and level crossing to be replaced, and not a single tram has passed over the crossing. Why does it need lifting again already? Is this the level of reliability we can expect when (if) the line eventually opens? There are many people who will have been spending some time this morning wishing that the line had reopened on time, while they were sitting in their cars or on buses stuck in jams due to the snow

  2. John Gilbert says:
    Tuesday 10 April 2012 at 20:02

    Can anyone tell me just why so much trouble is being experienced with the control system? Presumably this is not rocket science these days? Moreover the system would have been evaluated before being installed. Or has it?

  3. Ken Walker says:
    Wednesday 11 April 2012 at 20:12

    TfGM and Metrolink are not even telling the people directly affected (ie those living on the affected routes) what is happening. All that seems to happen is that every 3 months or so TfGM make a statement that the opening is now another 3 months behind, which taken literally means they are making no progress whatsoever! Trying to integrate this new system with the system in use from 1992 is like trying to make Windows 7 software work on a computer fitted with windows 3.1, so I hope that somebody checked before deciding on this system, although events on the ground seem to suggest not. What is absolutely certain is that although the Oldham – Rochdale section was supposed to open in Spring 2012 (ie NOW) it is far from complete, there are no overhead structures in place between Newhey and Rochdale and it is at least a week since any were installed so this line would not have been opening on time regardless of the computer problem.

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