British Trams Online News

Adults can travel two for the price of one whilst children can travel for free on Saturday 24^th and Sunday 25^th November on Manchester Metrolink with a special voucher downloaded off the Metrolink website (http://www.metrolink.co.uk/christmas/default.aspx). The publicity suggests that it is an ideal way to help you celebrate Christmas but we here at British Trams Online think it is far to be thinking of that celebration so you can just use it to travel anywhere on the network instead! To take advantage of this offer all you have to do is follow the link above and download the voucher. Season ticket holders can also gain from the offer as by downloading the voucher another adult and up to three children can travel for free. A number of retail offers are also available for this weekend and more details of these can also be found at http://www.metrolink.co.uk/christmas/default.aspx.

Further testing has been taking place this week on the Rochdale extension of the Oldham and Rochdale lines with M5000s being seen stabled at Milnrow stop between their overnight sessions. 3057 has been a regular performer on these tests and has been joined
by both 3053 and 3053 with trams noted in situ both at the end of October and this past week. It is currently planned that trams will make it to Rochdale Railway Station in service sometime in the early part of 2013, although no exact dates have yet been given and it is believed there will be a phased opening with the section to Shaw and Crompton being the first to open.

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The name on Metrolink T68 1024 has turned out to be a short lived one as it has already had it removed and is now running nameless. As you may remember the vehicle was named JEFF JARDINE on Friday 9^th November to mark the retirement of a member of staff who had been with Metrolink for over 20 years but the name has now been removed and the tram operated in service like this on Tuesday 20^th November.

The 60^th Bombardier M5000 for Manchester Metrolink was delivered to Queen’s Road Depot on the morning of Saturday 17^th November.  3060 arrived on the back of a low loader with number vinyls already in place although the livery embellishments have yet to be applied.

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There will be no trams operating on the Eccles or MediaCityUK branches of Manchester Metrolink over the weekend of Saturday 1^st and Sunday 2^nd December due to engineering works. A replacement bus will be in operation between Eccles and Trafford Bar which will call at all stops with the exception of Pomona (for this stop passengers are advised to use Exchange Quay), passengers can then catch a tram from Trafford Bar for their onward journey. All other lines will run as normal throughout the weekend.

As previously reported on British Trams Online testing took place on the East Manchester Line extension of Metrolink at the end of October with two trams being out stationed during the day at New Islington stop to allow the testing to take place over night. M5000s 3052 and 3054 were the two vehicles used on this testing and if you carry on reading this article you can view a few photos of the trams in situ at New Islington.

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Manchester Metrolink T68 1024 has been named Jeff Jardine, to mark the retirement of  one of Metrolink’s long serving controllers. Jeff had been with Metrolink since January 1992 – before the line had opened to the public – and has been in the Control Room for many years with the naming being carried out as a surprise on his last day at work. This is the first naming of a T68 since the Vans sponsorship two years ago.

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As normal Manchester Metrolink have shown support for the Poppy Appeal by decorating one of their trams with poppies – with the appropriately named Poppy Appeal (T68 1022) the tram chosen for this honour in 2012. 1022 entered service with the Poppies adorned on 31^st October and they will remain in situ until the end of service on Remembrance
Sunday itself, 11^th November. Meanwhile Transport for Greater Manchester have confirmed that they will be rededicating M5000 3020 Lancashire Fusilier following the recent withdrawal of T68 1020.

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The first of two bridges to be installed over motorways in Greater Manchester for the Metrolink extension to the Airport has been put into place and the work was done so quickly the motorway was able to be opened eight hours early. This bridge was installed over the M60 during a planned closure overnight on 3^rd/4^th November.

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