The exact service pattern on Manchester Metrolink as from Monday 24th February for the next nine months has now been confirmed on their official website with the Bury-Altrincham direct service confirmed as operating all every day with the Altrincham-Piccadilly and Bury-Abraham Moss services only running at peak times.
The following service pattern will operate:
Altrincham-Piccadilly
Monday-Friday: Every 12 minutes between 0700 and 2000
Saturday: Every 12 minutes between 0900 and 2100
Sunday & Bank Holiday: No service
Bury-Altrincham:
Monday-Friday: Every 12 minutes between 0600 and 2300 using double trams
Saturday: Every 12 minutes between 0600 and 0000
Sunday & Bank Holiday: Every 12 minutes between 0700 and 2230
Bury-Abraham Moss:
Monday-Friday: Every 12 minutes between 0700 and 2000
Saturday: Every 12 minutes between 0900 and 2100
Sunday & Bank Holiday: No service
East Didsbury-Rochdale Railway Station:
Monday-Friday: Every 12 minutes between 0600 and 2300 using a mixture of double and single trams
Saturday: Every 12 minutes between 0600 and 0000
Sunday & Bank Holiday: Every 12 minutes between 0700 and 1700 and then every 15 minutes
Eccles-Ashton under Lyne:
Monday-Friday: Every 12 minutes between 0600 and 2300 (runs via MediaCityUK before 0700 and after 2000)
Saturday: Every 12 minutes between 0600 and 0000 (runs via MediaCityUK before 0700 and after 2000)
Sunday & Bank Holiday: Every 12 minutes between 0800 and 1700 and then every 15 minutes (all trams running via MediaCityUK)
MediaCityUK-Piccadilly:
Monday-Friday: Every 12 minutes between 0700 and 2000
Saturday: Every 12 minutes between 0700 and 2000
Sunday: No service
These services should operate for approximately nine months from Monday 24th February and means that passengers travelling off the Bury line to Piccadilly Station will now have to change in the city centre either at Market Street and walking to Piccadilly Gardens or by travelling through to St Peter’s Square and then back to Piccadilly. Passengers from Altrincham will have a similar problem in the evening and Sundays as the direct service between the original two outposts will run whenever Metrolink services are in operation.
The two remaining T68As available for service – 2001 and 2003 – are likely to be limited to operation on the Bury-Abraham Moss service during this period – that is if they aren’t withdrawn before it ends!
It will be interesting to see how it all pans out.On paper it looks fine,but as we all know how many people can you get on a A4 sheet of paper.I travelled by metrolink on Friday when there was no service through Victoria.To say the Altrincham service was a bit of overkill is a understatemeant.I had just missed a east didsbury service at cornbrook by seconds.While waiting for the next service to didsbury a total of two doubles and three single Altrincham trams came past.I decided just to keep warm and get out of the wind at cornbrook and ride to Trafford bar,where another Altrincham tram came before finally the didsbury service came.
Really tram man?