More changes ahead for Manchester Metrolink services

The next few months will see more changes to Manchester Metrolink services with the lines south of the city being affected as a result of work on the new signalling system and also in changing the layout at Deansgate-Castlefield. The first of these temporary line closures will take place on Saturday 5th April with further closures on Sunday 13th, Saturday 19th, Sunday 20th April, Sunday 11th, Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th May.

The closures on Saturday 5th, Sunday 13th April and Sunday 11th May will allow work to take place on the new signalling system (TMS) which will not only provide major operational benefits to the network but will also enable the real time information systems to be commissioned on all lines.

Then on Saturday 19th, Sunday 20th April, Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th May work will be concentrated on the major expansion of the Deansgate-Castlefield stop. Work here is already underway but the next phase of works necessitates a line closure. Once completed Deansgate-Castlefield will have a new inbound island platform and a new outbound platform with two new track crossovers also installed. This will allow trams to turn back in either direction – which would be helpful at times of disruption if nothing else.

Peter Cushing, TfGM’s Metrolink Director, commented: “We’re continuing to invest in significant improvements to the Metrolink network that will deliver long lasting benefits for passengers but which occasionally involve some short-term changes to services. The redevelopment of Deansgate-Castlefield is a really exciting case in point: it is going to give passengers a real sense of arrival at what is becoming an increasingly popular and strategic stop on the network. But in order to get certain bits of work done safely and efficiently, we will have to run replacement bus services on a few Saturdays and Sundays. I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we work to improve the network.”

The following services will run during this work:

Saturday 5th, Sunday 13th, Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th April

Trams will run:

Bury to Ashton-under-Lyne

Rochdale to Etihad Campus

Replacement buses will run:

Altrincham to Piccadilly

Eccles to Piccadilly via MediaCityUK

East Didsbury to Piccadilly

(Details of services to be run during the work in May have yet to be announced but are likely to be fairly similar to the above).

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3 Responses to More changes ahead for Manchester Metrolink services

  1. Mark Sheppard says:

    The passenger information displays were switched on earlier this week on the Altrincham line, as yet they just show the time and the general information notices, no tram times.

  2. Ken Walker says:

    I was most surprised last Sunday to see that Metrolink’s newest station, Queen’s Road, has no information displays.

    • freel07 says:

      Ken, there are no displays yet because the new signalling system doesn’t come that far north yet so there would be no information to display. They will be provided as part of the Bury Line roll out of TMS.

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