Manchester Metrolink ice debacle

[Boysteve]

This morning there were no trams on the Manchester Metrolink network due to ice/frost. This is an absolute embarrassment to the city/region/tfgm and the man in charge Peter Cushing. This has happened previous winters too and so the contingency plan they have for frost/ice is quite clearly not up to scratch. When this happened last winter there were calls for Peter Cushing to resign which he refused to do (see link from last years news story).

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...chesters-metrolink-boss-peter-cushing-6318807

And now from this year......

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...olink-services-suspended-cold-weather-8282530

Nearly all Metrolink services have been suspended today due to frost on overhead power cables.


Most services are suspended ‘until further notice’ with no information given on when they are starting again.


Passengers told to use their tickets on buses instead.
Metrolink tickets can also be used on train services where trams are affected, including Northern Rail services between Rochdale and Manchester Victoria.


Peter Cushing, Metrolink Director at Transport for Greater Manchester, said: "First of all I'd like to apologise for any inconvenience passengers may have faced as a result of the icy overnight conditions.

"This is not the first frost of the winter and we were aware it was going to freeze overnight, as a result we have had icebreaker trams out across the network throughout the night in an attempt to keep the overhead lines clear and the system operational. But, a combination of unusual and extreme conditions and a sudden worsening of those conditions early this morning has led to a number of failed trams...."

Someone, somewhere is responsible for this absolute joke, what should be done?

 

[nidave]

This morning there were no trams on the Manchester Metrolink network due to ice/frost. This is an absolute embarrassment to the city/region/tfgm and the man in charge Peter Cushing. This has happened previous winters too and so the contingency plan they have for frost/ice is quite clearly not up to scratch. When this happened last winter there were calls for Peter Cushing to resign which he refused to do (see link from last years news story).

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...chesters-metrolink-boss-peter-cushing-6318807

And now from this year......

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...olink-services-suspended-cold-weather-8282530



Someone, somewhere is responsible for this absolute joke, what should be done?

Apparently (according to a thread on Skyscraper City) the ice breakers were out but they got stranded.

 

[neilmc]

A bit of frost in December, who could have expected that??

A huge embarrassment, I wonder how those tram systems in continental Europe where it's icy every single day from now until March can possibly run a service?

 

[syorksdeano]

Don't think the Sheffield Supertram had any issues this morning.

 

[thenorthern]

I hope they sort it out next week, I don't want to be stranded in the morning.

 

[nidave]

A bit of frost in December, who could have expected that??

A huge embarrassment, I wonder how those tram systems in continental Europe where it's icy every single day from now until March can possibly run a service?

From what I understand of the issue its not the cold that's the problem its the moisture in the air. It can be well below zero and as long its not humid then ice wont be able to form or if it does its only a small amount that the normal tram pantographs are able to shift. Manchester is quite a humid place compared to places further south.

There are a number of ice breaker trams that run round the system all night during these situations and help keep the OLE clear as possible to allow the normal trams to break any further build-up. The effectiveness of this is dependant on a number of factors. Including the Weather Report from the Met Office to give a forecast on how long its expected to last and the temperature and humidity

 

[WatcherZero]

Indeed working overnight clearing Ice prevents frost, but was the mornings freezing fog that did it, which would cause quite rapid build up.

 

[BritishRail83]

That Peter Cushing will take a HAMMERing over this, or will he be given the cold shoulder!

 

[185]

That Peter Cushing will take a HAMMERing over this, or will he be given the cold shoulder!

I knew you'd make a killing out of his name. Ahem.

 

[northwichcat]

Indeed working overnight clearing Ice prevents frost, but was the mornings freezing fog that did it, which would cause quite rapid build up.

Question is why did they affect all Metrolink lines except the Bury line and has affected Metrolink during previous winters, yet the same problem isn't occurring on National Rail or other tram systems in the UK.

I would say fortunately for passengers travelling between Altrincham/Navigation Rd and Manchester Northern were operating most services as 4 car. However, there weren't that many empty seats on some Manchester bound services leaving Knutsford so I wouldn't be surprised if some passengers who switched to Northern (instead of the 263 bus that Metrolink would have advised them to use) had to stand all the way despite the strengthened services.

 

[westcoaster]

Apparently (according to a thread on Skyscraper City) the ice breakers were out but they got stranded.

Do the trams have an ice mode like bombardier trains have I.e 377's to stop the voltage spikes affecting the train.

 

[edwin_m]

I knew you'd make a killing out of his name. Ahem.

He was probably too busy running the Death Star to think about Metrolink. Come to think of it, that beam thingy might have been useful to melt the ice...

 

[507 001]

Do the trams have an ice mode like bombardier trains have I.e 377's to stop the voltage spikes affecting the train.

Nope.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It is all well and good to view such matters from an enthusiast and from a general operational point of view, but what about those people who use the Metrolink system as a method of getting to and from their places of employment. Not all such journeys are "short-hop" journeys but some are quite long ones, where the bus services take far longer or having to revert to the former use a personal/company car in lieu.

 

[nidave]

Question is why did they affect all Metrolink lines except the Bury line and has affected Metrolink during previous winters, yet the same problem isn't occurring on National Rail or other tram systems in the UK.

National Rail have trains that do the same thing as the tram ice breakers - 3rd Rail suffers as well but a lot of it is heated now.

 

[Busaholic]

That Peter Cushing will take a HAMMERing over this, or will he be given the cold shoulder!

Sacking him would be a bit draculonian don't you think?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Well, the service has been a bit of a horror story. ( Maybe his replacement would be a Mr. F. Stein? )

 

[TheHovisKid]

He was probably too busy running the Death Star to think about Metrolink. Come to think of it, that beam thingy might have been useful to melt the ice...

Peter Chushing is Jeff Vader's boss?

 

[Y961 XBU]

Is there still a dedicated Ice Breaker Tram? last i heard it was 1023 but since The type has been pulled from Passenger use i do wonder if this has been pulled of this duty aswell?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Peter Chushing is Jeff Vader's boss?

You have lost me with your play on words. I know of a number of Chu Shing restaurants.

 

[theageofthetra]

Even more embarrassing for Metrolink was that the Heaton Park heritage tramway was operating with no issues on the same day!

 

[edwin_m]

Peter Chushing is Jeff Vader's boss?

Yes, one of his later roles was the governor of the death star (or should that be deaf star?).

 

[richardio123]

Is there still a dedicated Ice Breaker Tram? last i heard it was 1023 but since The type has been pulled from Passenger use i do wonder if this has been pulled of this duty aswell?

No 1023 isnt used anymore 3001,2,3, and 4 all have dedicated ice breaker pantographs

 

[muz379]

There are a number of ice breaker trams that run round the system all night during these situations and help keep the OLE clear as possible to allow the normal trams to break any further build-up. The effectiveness of this is dependant on a number of factors. Including the Weather Report from the Met Office to give a forecast on how long its expected to last and the temperature and humidity

I was aware from weather reports that there was going to be a freezing morning fog though and woke up a little bit earlier to allow myself time to defrost my car and make sure I could take my time driving into work .I was in at about 06:00. So Metrolink should too have been fully aware and prepared ,

 

[krus_aragon]

Peter Chushing is Jeff Vader's boss?

You have lost me with your play on words. I know of a number of Chu Shing restaurants.

Paul, I think that was just a stray typo while referencing this Eddie Izzard sketch: Death Star Canteen

 

[Y961 XBU]

No 1023 isnt used anymore 3001,2,3, and 4 all have dedicated ice breaker pantographs

Had a feeling it had been pulled from that duty, cheers for that

 

[WatcherZero]

I was aware from weather reports that there was going to be a freezing morning fog though and woke up a little bit earlier to allow myself time to defrost my car and make sure I could take my time driving into work .I was in at about 06:00. So Metrolink should too have been fully aware and prepared ,

They were up earlier, running the trams all night, the fog caused the ice to form later in the morning though.

 

[rail-guy]

does / has peter cushing got a bad harsh time a bit like pat karney ?

 

[muz379]

They were up earlier, running the trams all night, the fog caused the ice to form later in the morning though.

Running ice breaking trams all night is not unusual for this time of year the idea being they can keep ice build up on the OLE to a minimum meaning when the early morning service trams go out they dont experience any issues .

A freezing early morning fog is however experienced a lot less often granted . But it was forecast when I watched the weather the previous evening .

 

[WatcherZero]

Exactly, they were doing all they could. Ironically these ice issues don't crop up as much if the temperatures are colder, only when they hover around zero allowing moisture to build up on the wires, and in fog theres a lot of moisture.