Manchester Metrolink master thread

[gnolife]

I can tell you that theres a crossover installed between Robinswood Road (Airport bound platform) and Wythenshawe Town Centre (Manchester bound platform)

 

[Manchester77]

Hank you I've added it to my big map

 

[rebmcr]

Will Navigation Road remain block-signalled under NR control, with the TMS-like feed running on top for the PIDs?

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Tram 3068 hit Rochdale town cente about 20 minutes ago.

Despite special pleading, I was not allowed on for the "outside kebsbhuis on Drake St" to Rochdale Town Centre "Route Coverage Withering Leap".

So I colleceted my supper and went home. ..

Ner nsr ner ner ner....

 

[JackClare]

Will Navigation Road remain block-signalled under NR control, with the TMS-like feed running on top for the PIDs?

I believe that's how it will work, yeah

 

[familyguy99]

I been to Rochdale today where 3068/9 Metrolink trams were sit at Rochdale Railway station and here are some picture of them.


3068 tram sit at Rochdale for testing


3069 tram sit at Rochdale stop


3068-3069 sit at Rochdale stop


3069 sit at Rochdale for testing

Three trams sit at Rochdale Railway station.


Metrolink trams sit at Rochdale Metrolink stop


Metrolink trams sit at Rochdale stop

Picture of Rochdale Town Centre stop.


Rochdale Town Centre stop


Looking at Rochdale Town Centre Metrolink stop

 

[JackClare]

Nice pictures! Is that Andrew?

 

[Starmill]

We're all here Tho I'm not over there so much now Bloody Yorkshire!

 

[martinsh]

Got a query about tram replacement buses (tomorrow, but could be any Saturday).

Metrolink website says

"The following services will operate with replacement buses:

•Central Park to Piccadilly
•Crumpsall to Piccadilly"

Also the services running include

"•Altrincham to Piccadilly
•Bury to Crumpsall
•East Didsbury to Piccadilly"

Now in the list of services I'm assuming that Piccadilly means Piccadilly station, but do the replacement buses operate from there or from Piccadilly Gardens ? Also, whereabouts exactly do they go from ? [ And how frequent are they ] I assume they stop at Victoria ?

As usual Metrolink is silent on these subjects. [ Or the website design is even worse than I tohught ! ]

 

[JackClare]

We're all here Tho I'm not over there so much now Bloody Yorkshire!

This is excellent!

Got a query about tram replacement buses (tomorrow, but could be any Saturday).

Metrolink website says

"The following services will operate with replacement buses:

•Central Park to Piccadilly
•Crumpsall to Piccadilly"

Also the services running include

"•Altrincham to Piccadilly
•Bury to Crumpsall
•East Didsbury to Piccadilly"

Now in the list of services I'm assuming that Piccadilly means Piccadilly station, but do the replacement buses operate from there or from Piccadilly Gardens ? Also, whereabouts exactly do they go from ? [ And how frequent are they ] I assume they stop at Victoria ?

As usual Metrolink is silent on these subjects. [ Or the website design is even worse than I tohught ! ]

Replacement buses do run to Piccadilly if you go down the first set of stairs as if you were going towards the Metrolink, but then turn right at the bottom of the first set (signed for Fairfield Street entrance/exit I think) and then walk out of the doors, cross Fairfield Street and turn left, it's basically under Platform 13 and 14

As for frequency, I've not experienced during the day but at 9:20 pm on a Sunday night it seems terrible :roll: and they do stop at Victoria, travelling up Fairfield Street, right onto London Road, round up Aytoun Street, right onto Portland Street, left onto Piccadilly (Piccadilly Gardens stop), right onto Lever Street, left onto Dale Street then Church Street, right onto High Street, left down Shudehill then right onto Corporation (?) Street.

^ I was bored ^

 

[familyguy99]

Nice pictures! Is that Andrew?

No I just like nicking his picture and adding them onto here.

 

[Polo Mint]

Are the trams 'on testing' or in service at Rochdale town centre now?

In regards to it taking a long time, I think the tram is mainly for commuters in the suburbs of Rochdale and the Oldham area going between Rochdale, Oldham or Manchester. The train is more convenient for Rochdale town centre-Manchester city centre traffic. It should be an improvement from Northern Rail sprinters, with a better frequency and direct in Oldham, Rochdale and Manchester centres rather than far out of town Railway Stations

 

[rebmcr]

It should be an improvement from Northern Rail sprinters, with a better frequency and direct in Oldham, Rochdale and Manchester centres rather than far out of town Railway Stations

I never ever saw anything except Pacers on the Oldham side of the loop, throughout the 90s and early 00s when Dean Lane was my local.

 

[Manchester77]

Are the trams 'on testing' or in service at Rochdale town centre now?

- Yes they are dynamic testing the TMS I think as was done in Oldham a few weeks ago. The double used is stabled at Rochdale Railway Station until the night when its used

 

[snowball]

However, I was wondering how long the underpass / dive under between Etihad campus and the Velodrome had been in existence? By the look of it, many years. Was it used for something else before?

It was certainly built well before the contract was signed for phase 3, probably at the time Alan Turing Way was built but I can't give you a date.

Sorry to reply to a 3-week old question but I'm still catching up with the threads after a period with no web access.

A lot of preparatory work for the East Manchester line was done in the early noughties, when the City of Manchester Stadium (now Etihad Stadium) and Velodrome were built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. According to the LRTA website, the underpass under Alan Turing Way was completed in March 2003. Alan Turing Way was originally built in 1994.

Another notable bit of advance work comprises Central Park stop (on the Oldham line) with its fancy roof, and the nearby curved finback bridge over the Network Rail line to Rochdale. These were completed in the mid-noughties.

Another example is the bridge carrying Fairy Lane over the M60 at Sale, which was rebuilt in the mid-noughties when the motorway was widened, with an extra short span to go over the airport line.

 

[martinsh]

Replacement buses do run to Piccadilly if you go down the first set of stairs as if you were going towards the Metrolink, but then turn right at the bottom of the first set (signed for Fairfield Street entrance/exit I think) and then walk out of the doors, cross Fairfield Street and turn left, it's basically under Platform 13 and 14

As for frequency, I've not experienced during the day but at 9:20 pm on a Sunday night it seems terrible :roll: and they do stop at Victoria,

Thanks for the info - most helpful.

As opposed to the Metrolink website which couldn't even get the list of tram routes that were actually running correct !!

Despite what all the publicity said, the East Didsbury route (as least) was running to Victoria not Piccadully.

Also noticed that the indicators at all stations on the Ashton line don't seem capable of indicating "Eccles via Mediacity" as they all just said "Piccadilly" for the next tram.

 

[Manchester77]

It's mentioned quite a lot it's because there isn't a TMS code for Ashton - Eccles so the PIDs will see them as Piccadilly workings. It's different for the destination blinds since they aren't part of the timetable but what appears on the PIDs is based on the TMS code. I assume when ECC-ASH workings take place TMS sees them as the normal Eccles via Media - Piccadilly and then Piccadilly - Ashton

Does it not give it at the top in an LU style as it has done in the past few days.

EDIT: yes just checked at the top it has Bury - Crumpsall etc

 

[rebmcr]

Another notable bit of advance work...

And of course there's room for a Picc-Vic platform in the Arndale Centre foundations! Rumour has it there's even some accessible space down there via the Arndale.

Despite what all the publicity said, the East Didsbury route (as least) was running to Victoria, not Piccadilly.

That's a change then — the engineering alterations in the past have indeed had them diverted to Piccadilly.

 

[JackClare]

I saw 3038 (I think) heading down High Street last night at about 9:30 towards Market Street and thought "they've finished the engineering/improvement works early, I can get off the replacement bus!" but I didn't read that East Didsbury was running to Victoria. Considering that Victoria was open, does anyone know if the replacement bus was due with TMS at Irk Valley? They wouldn't have to close the ORL between Central Park and Victoria if there was just Queen's Road work, would they?

And of course there's room for a Picc-Vic platform in the Arndale Centre foundations! Rumour has it there's even some accessible space down there via the Arndale.

I'd love to go down into the realms of the Arndale. I'd also love to go under Victoria station and work my way through the tunnels down to the Irk. That would be fun!

 

[Manchester77]

Think it was work at Queens Road not sure about the reason for the ORL terminating at Central Park. Don't think it'd be TMS
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Baguley has been baptised

IMG_2095 by rickybates, on Flickr

 

[familyguy99]

I saw 3038 (I think) heading down High Street last night at about 9:30 towards Market Street and thought "they've finished the engineering/improvement works early, I can get off the replacement bus!" but I didn't read that East Didsbury was running to Victoria. Considering that Victoria was open, does anyone know if the replacement bus was due with TMS at Irk Valley? They wouldn't have to close the ORL between Central Park and Victoria if there was just Queen's Road work, would they?

East Didsbury run to Victoria all day yesterday I believe Jack and I think if they were doing work at Queens Road then maybe overhead wires would need to be switch off which may affected ORL at Irk Valley.

 

[JackClare]

East Didsbury run to Victoria all day yesterday I believe Jack and I think if they were doing work at Queens Road then maybe overhead wires would need to be switch off which may affected ORL at Irk Valley.

Ahh yes, didn't think of the wires!

This is where Kriis101's SSC idea of battery-powered trams with charging points in various locations would have been very useful

 

[pemma]

Statement from TfGM on Cornbrook:

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is dedicated to providing the highest possible standards of customer service.

But we do recognise that over recent weeks this has been affected by the technical issues we have faced around the Cornbrook area of the Metrolink network and we are working hard with our partners to resolve this situation.

These issues have arisen in part as a result of the complexities of meshing the existing Metrolink network with the new technology required to speed up journeys and provide real time information to passengers.

While the new system is tested as thoroughly as possible before and after it’s been installed, a number of unexpected issues have been experienced in the ‘live’ environment.

We fully appreciate and apologise for how much disruption, inconvenience and frustration this has caused.

This issue has our full attention and a number of strands of activity are under way to work through every aspect of the system to provide the high level of service passengers deserve.

• We are working with our contractors Thales, MPT and MRDL to improve how we react to issues in the area, to protect passengers from lengthy spells of disruption.

• We are introducing a series of immediate, short-term changes to the system to improve its reliability.

• We are investigating the failures to identify the root cause, or causes, in order to introduce the accompanying permanent solutions.

At the same time, we have taken on board the feedback we’ve received from passengers regarding communications and are making improvements to the way we distribute service and network disruption information.

The Metrolink website – www.metrolink.co.uk will be updated (as a minimum) at 7am, noon and 4pm - with an assessment of how each line’s service is performing and we will also be improving the live information provided via @OfficialTfGM.

We will endeavour to keep you up to speed with progress around the Cornbrook issue over the coming weeks and also around the improvements to our communications.

Peter Cushing
Metrolink Director TfGM

 

[hughesfowler]

For weekend commuters on Bury line have just rang Metrolink for this weeks engineering on my line. They advise for next 3 weekends, no works on Saturdays. On Sundays trams to Crumpsall and then bus to Manchester until 9am only.

 

[Manchester77]

Finishing of Queens then. Staff are using the new stop now rather than the old halt

 

[familyguy99]

For weekend commuters on Bury line have just rang Metrolink for this weeks engineering on my line. They advise for next 3 weekends, no works on Saturdays. On Sundays trams to Crumpsall and then bus to Manchester until 9am only.

I'm surprise that Metrolink are going to be having engineering work on 23rd, 30th November and 7th December special leading up to Christmas but guess it needed to finish and hopefully open new Queens Road stop in December then.

Here is how Metrolink service will be running around Christmas and New Year.

Christmas eve - service will be running as Saturday service but will finish at 9pm

No service on Christmas day.

Boxing day - Sunday service with double trams on Altrincham to Piccadilly and Bury to Ashton

Friday 27th, Saturday 28th and Monday 30th - Saturday service will operation with double trams on Altrincham and Ashton lines, service will still finish as normal on Monday 30th December.

Sunday 29th - Normal service with double trams on Altrincham and Ashton service.

New year eve - Saturday service with service finishing at 1am (as normal Saturday service)

New year day - Sunday service but trams will only run between 9am to 9am on this day.

2nd January - Normal service.

http://www.tfgm.com/journey_planning/Pages/Metrolink-strenghening-service.aspx

^^ Full lists can be found on that link.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Finishing of Queens then. Staff are using the new stop now rather than the old halt

Workmen were very busy there this afternoon when we passed through on the Ashton-under-Lyne to Bury service with the square yellow "dimple stones" well on view and some being installed.

 

[Manchester77]

Yeah JDR posted some pictures showing a lift shaft and the disabled square stones too
see here: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=108748563&postcount=27925

 

[edwin_m]

The ones on railway platforms with circular lumps are known as blister tactiles, and lozenge tactiles are the ones with oval lumps which are generally used on tramways. I was involved in a particularly pointless safety debate a while back about which ones were applicable at Newton Heath & Moston.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The ones on railway platforms with circular lumps are known as blister tactiles, and lozenge tactiles are the ones with oval lumps which are generally used on tramways. I was involved in a particularly pointless safety debate a while back about which ones were applicable at Newton Heath & Moston.

It is good to have forum members with the knowledge to pass on to those less technically gifted on certain mattters of correct technical phraseology...