First Metrolink M5000 reaches 1 million Kms

[507 001]

Yesterday afternoon, 3006 became the first M5000 to reach 1,000,000kms.

http://https://tfgm.com/news/million

Tram 3006 became the first M-5000 Metrolink vehicle to clock up 1,000,000 kilometres this afternoon.

The vehicle, which was first introduced to the network in February 2010, moved into seven figures as it pulled into Altrincham.

The occasion was marked with a special message from the driver Ady Leigh as well as a celebratory one-off message on the vehicle’s electronic display.

Read the full news release here

It has completed 1.5 trips to the moon and back, 25 round the world trips and god knows how many trips to Bury and Altrincham. All in 9 years.

 

[Jozhua]

Yesterday afternoon, 3006 became the first M5000 to reach 1,000,000kms.

http://https://tfgm.com/news/million

It has completed 1.5 trips to the moon and back, 25 round the world trips and god knows how many trips to Bury and Altrincham. All in 9 years.

Impressive news! Heard TGFM is ordering more M5000's for the fleet as well? Will these M5000's be different in any way or the same as the 10 year old models currently in circulation?

 

[edwin_m]

Don't the more recent ones have a few more seats?

 

[WatcherZero]

They started having more seats round about 3075 onwards.

The new ones will be the same though they were considering some safety upgrades in light of Croydon though whether they went ahead with them hasnt been disclosed. These should be the last of the existing design, any new lines/tram train will be a new likely double base length design.

 

[Jozhua]

They started having more seats round about 3075 onwards.

These should be the last of the existing design, any new lines/tram train will be a new likely double base length design.

That's interesting, the M5000's are quite a good fleet in a lot of ways, the only issue is the grinding round the corners!

I'd be interested to see if/when Metrolink gets a new design of trams as well, although this will likely have to wait many years...

Is there a Metrolink discussion thread on this forum yet? As the largest light rail system in the country (and still growing), would be nice to have a thread going for updates!

 

[507 001]

That's interesting, the M5000's are quite a good fleet in a lot of ways, the only issue is the grinding round the corners!

I'd be interested to see if/when Metrolink gets a new design of trams as well, although this will likely have to wait many years...

Is there a Metrolink discussion thread on this forum yet? As the largest light rail system in the country (and still growing), would be nice to have a thread going for updates!

They’re not quite as good as you think, especially from a driver’s point of view!

 

[Jozhua]

They’re not quite as good as you think, especially from a driver’s point of view!

That's interesting! What are some of the issues with them?

 

[507 001]

The cabs are not very well designed.
The ride quality is atrocious.
No blended brakes so coming to a stop on a hill gives you whiplash.
The build quality is terrible, every panel in the cab rattles when you go round tight bends.

The only good thing about them is the traction package (blended brakes aside) which came from Vossloh, not Bombardier. Explains a lot really.

 

[Jozhua]

The cabs are not very well designed.
The ride quality is atrocious.
No blended brakes so coming to a stop on a hill gives you whiplash.
The build quality is terrible, every panel in the cab rattles when you go round tight bends.

The only good thing about them is the traction package (blended brakes aside) which came from Vossloh, not Bombardier. Explains a lot really.

To be honest, you're not wrong! The seats are also a lot harder than the bus I'm sat on right now :/ (There are also less of them)

 

[AndyB28]

To be honest, you're not wrong! The seats are also a lot harder than the bus I'm sat on right now :/ (There are also less of them)

Totally agree, the seats are awful. Ok for just a few stops (assuming you've actually managed to get one) but desperately uncomfortable for longer runs. I had to use the bus once to get out to Rochdale because of the old Co-op building fire and couldn't help noticing that the bus-seats, although smaller, were much more comfortable...!