A full Manchester Metrolink service between Oldham Mumps and Rochdale Town Centre will resume from Monday 19th August. Trams had been suspended on this section since 10th July after a landslip at Derker.
The initial estimate of five weeks from when work commenced on 24th July has been beaten meaning that trams will be back running much earlier than first feared after round the clock work from Metrolink engineers. This has seen engineers move around 200 metres of track back into position using more than 100 tonnes of ballast as well as repairing overhead poles.
Further work will be required to make the line more resilient over the next 12 to 24 months.
Pete Sommers, TfGM’s Metrolink Director, said: “The safety of our customers and staff is our highest priority and this was a serious landslip which affected the tracks and overhead line poles. The decision to suspend services was not taken lightly but the extent of the movement meant it was no longer safe to operate trams. Thanks to the round-the-clock efforts of our Metrolink engineers and groundwork specialists’ repairs are now close to completion with test trams planned to operate over the coming days in advance of opening for start of service on Monday morning.”