Work is to be undertaken from this coming weekend (Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July) at Cornbrook Junction to install the equipment to allow the Tram Management System (TMS) to be switched on to allow more frequent services to run through the area. As Manchester Metrolink has continued to expand \u2013 with further expansion to follow as well \u2013 the number of services which have been able to be operate have been dictated by the old signalling system but with the engineers now seemingly convinced that they have got to the bottom of the problems that have dogged TMS previously work is to recommence on installing across the whole network.<\/p>\n
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The first set of works at Cornbrook will be undertaken on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July and will see all trams from Altrincham, Eccles and East Didsbury being cancelled and replaced by buses in their entirety to Piccadilly Station. Trams will continue to operate from Bury to Droylsden and from Rochdale Railway Station to Victoria throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n
Cllr Andrew Fender, Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, said: \u201cMetrolink is in the midst of a major transformation that will see it treble in size by 2016. Allied to that is the need to upgrade the existing \u2018block\u2019 signalling system to a new line-of-sight system, particularly through the Cornbrook junction, which is at the heart of the network. Regular passengers will know that services through this area are already starting to experience congestion and the work being done over coming weekends is an essential part of addressing that once and for all and, in turn, improving their journeys.\u201d<\/p>\n
As well as this work introducing TMS at Cornbrook there is due to be major work around Victoria in the coming months which will cause further disruption for passengers \u2013 although this will not just be confined to weekends with single line working due to be introduced here from early next year causing changes to services.<\/p>\n
Peter Cushing, TfGM\u2019s Metrolink Director, said: \u201cWe are also already building up to the major transformation of the Victoria Metrolink stop, which will be completed in earnest over several months next year. So it\u2019s an incredibly exciting time, but the scale and breadth of the work being done will unavoidably require some temporary changes to weekend services. There\u2019s no such thing as a quiet weekend in Greater Manchester \u2013 there will always be something <\/a>happening somewhere \u2013 so the schedule of work aims, wherever possible, to strike the balance between getting things done as soon as possible but with the least impact.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Work is to be undertaken from this coming weekend (Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July) at Cornbrook Junction to install the equipment to allow the Tram Management System (TMS) to be switched on to allow more frequent services to run … Continue reading