Manchester Metrolink master thread

[pemma]

All ticket machines at Withington are out-of-order due to vandalism. Metrolink's advise on Twitter is passengers needing tickets should "press the 'Passenger Call Point' located on the platform and Customer Services will advise you further." Very useful!

 

[Starmill]

Exchange Quay has been opened since 1999, so I am surprised to hear of that happening there.

Why? Incidents like this still happen on parts of the network that have been open since 1992!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

All ticket machines at Withington are out-of-order due to vandalism.

Why am I not surprised to read of such a matter in that area ?

 

[185]

Would a GM Rail Ranger be valid there? In reality it serves basically the same purpose, to allow you to connect between the four railway stations using Metrolink... bit I don't think it's worded like that. If tickets to Manchester CTLZ are to be valid at New Islington I think the Ranger probably should too.

Yep. GMRR is valid to New Islington.... Its an area ticket for unlimited travel within the geographically stated areas.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Having never used Metrolink before, I just want to check a couple of things. Will be going to the Man City v Cardiff game on Saturday, and am thinking of having a couple of drinks in the city centre, as from what I have read there aren't really any pubs for away fans near the Etihad.

Am I right in saying that there are ticket machines on each platform and you need to buy a ticket there before getting on a tram?

Also in a more Manchester related question (rather than tram related), are there more pubs nearer Piccadilly or nearer Victoria? The tram from the Etihad goes to both from what I can tell. Or is it a short enough walk to not even have to think about?

 

[Shrimper]

Yes, you need to buy a ticket from the machines on the platform - on a match day there will be PSRs around to assist.

Etihad trams will go from both stops, either as a service tram running Bury to Ashton or an extra running Victoria to Etihad Campus.

Pubs are entirely subjective - I personally like the English Lounge near Shudehill; there is also a Lloyds near there in the Printworks. Most of the best pubs are further from the main stations, but if you want somewhere quick and easy you'll never be too far from a Wetherspoons!

 

[ianhr]

Try to find a pub which sells locally brewed beer from one of several surviving traditional breweries, the Manchester area has several (Holt's, Lees, Hyde's, Robinson's) + lots of new craft and microbreweries. Holt's is probably the cheapest pint in the North of England and they have a pub near Victoria.

 

[pemma]

Failed tram at Cornbrook this afternoon. Apparently it was a new M5000 on it's first run (not in passenger service.)

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Failed tram at Cornbrook this afternoon. Apparently it was a new M5000 on it's first run (not in passenger service.)

Cornbrook seems to suffer in one way or another in recent times.

 

[1e10]

I have an audio copy of all Metrolink announcements for anyone interested. PM me if you want them.

 

[familyguy99]

Today is last day that tram service will run between Werneth and Mumps (through tunnel) so here are some picture that I took today at temporary Oldham Mumps stop.

Come June all of this will be gone.


Metrolink line running off to Werneth


Looking at Oldham Mumps stop


Oldham Mumps Metrolink stop

After today trams wouldn't be doing this anymore.


3009 tram waiting at Oldham Mumps


Metrolink 3059 tram


3059 tram heading off to Werneth

But come 27th January a new line will open in Oldham.


3075 tram on test


3075-3076 trams on test

But for time beaning I would have to catch replacement bus service if I want to go to Manchester or Rochdale.


replacement bus service for Freehold stop

Oldham/Rochdale railway/tram line is 150 year old.


150 years of Oldham-Rochdale line

 

[YorkshireBear]

Why did the spend money electrifying the old route and replacing stations? surely delay metrolink for a year or two taking over from Northern and open all together?

 

[Manchester77]

To do with funding, the funding for Phase 3A funded an extension from Irk Valley to Rochdale over the former railway. Funding for 3B was confirmed at a later date and funded the extension through Rochdale and Oldham TCs. The work metrolink won't be wasted as equipment can be reused on other lines (except for the refurbished BR tracks through the tunnels which are not going to be reused on metrolink)

 

[edwin_m]

One of the more obvious consequences of our stop-start will-they-won't-they process of funding transport improvements.

 

[snowball]

The unfortunate timing of government financial approval is a major and recurring element in the history of Metrolink. It's why the ex-NR line past Oldham is about to be closed after most of it has been open as Metrolink for only 19 months (and part of it at the east end, including the A62 crossing, for only 13 months). It's why lots of money was spent on advance works in several places, including demolishing blocks of flats, for lines that then weren't built for almost a decade.

And it's why Outwood Lane, near the airport, is about to be dug up [by NR] for bridgeworks underneath for the fourth time in 25 years when the third time [by Metrolink] has only recently been finished.

 

[Talent]

Is an off peak Metrolink return ticket an open return or a day return ticket?

 

[Greybeard33]

In October 2009, when the Oldham Loop Line closed for Phase 3A conversion to Metrolink, the published schedule was that it would reopen to Oldham Mumps "by Autumn 2011" and all the way to Rochdale Station "by Spring 2012". If these dates had been achieved, the Mumps temporary stop and track through the Werneth tunnels would have seen considerably more use by now.

 

[edwin_m]

In October 2009, when the Oldham Loop Line closed for Phase 3A conversion to Metrolink, the published schedule was that it would reopen to Oldham Mumps "by Autumn 2011" and all the way to Rochdale Station "by Spring 2012". If these dates had been achieved, the Mumps temporary stop and track through the Werneth tunnels would have seen considerably more use by now.

Yes this delay was very unfortunate, and seems to have been mainly down to difficulties in commissioning the TMS and tieing the junction at Irk Valley into the existing signalling. But another reason for the shortening of the lifetime of the temporary stop is the completion of the town centre route ahead of schedule!

 

[pemma]

Is an off peak Metrolink return ticket an open return or a day return ticket?

IIRC on a return ticket the outward journey on a Metrolink ticket must be made within 90 minutes of the time the ticket was purchased and the return journey must be made before the service shuts down.

 

[Muzer]

IIRC on a return ticket the outward journey on a Metrolink ticket must be made within 90 minutes of the time the ticket was purchased and the return journey must be made before the service shuts down.

This is, I believe, correct. Break of journey, I believe, is acceptable as long as the break comes within the ticket's validity, or something along those lines - so break of journey on the out is a lot more restricted than on the return.

 

[Starmill]

And it's why Outwood Lane, near the airport, is about to be dug up [by NR] for bridgeworks underneath for the fourth time in 25 years when the third time [by Metrolink] has only recently been finished.

So NR WILL have to dig it up again then!

I remember a year or so ago we were all discussing heatedly on SSC and watching the Metrolink contractors digging it up and saying "but there is no room there for a third NR platform!" and cries of outrage "Why are they putting that there! It will have to be moved for the new NR platform!"

I wonder just how much of the work that has only just been finnished will need to be either un-done or re-done as NR build their new platform. I hope it's relatively little?

 

[WatcherZero]

Its believed the 90 minute outbound restriction will be dropped when the smartcards are launched allowing unlimited breaks of journey.

 

[snowball]

So NR WILL have to dig it up again then!

I remember a year or so ago we were all discussing heatedly on SSC and watching the Metrolink contractors digging it up and saying "but there is no room there for a third NR platform!" and cries of outrage "Why are they putting that there! It will have to be moved for the new NR platform!"

I wonder just how much of the work that has only just been finnished will need to be either un-done or re-done as NR build their new platform. I hope it's relatively little?

The subject has continued to be discussed on the Metrolink Extension thread at SSC, with frequent input of new information in the form of photographs by Richardio123 and others. (I'm the person known there as wrinkly - the name was taken when I registered here).

Some recently completed bits of parapet have been demolished. The pipes and cables recently replaced in the eastern footway of Outwood Lane, after being diverted on to a temporary steel bridge thing during the Metrolink works, have been re-diverted onto a similar temporary bridge thing - maybe even the same one in a slightly different location. Recently laid carriageway and footway materials on Outwood Lane will presumably soon be disturbed again. Traffic management removed from Outwood Lane will need to be reintroduced.

I'm not aware of any other recent work that will need to be undone.

 

[The Snap]

The subject has continued to be discussed on the Metro link Extension thread at SSC, with frequent input of new information in the form of photographs by Richardio123 and others. (I'm the person known there as wrinkly - the name was taken when I registered here).

Some recently completed bits of parapet have been demolished. The pipes and cables recently replaced in the eastern footway of Outwood Lane, after being diverted on to a temporary steel bridge thing during the Metrolink works, have been re-diverted onto a similar temporary bridge thing - maybe even the same one in a slightly different location. Recently laid carriageway and footway materials on Outwood Lane will presumably soon be disturbed again. Traffic management removed from Outwood Lane will need to be reintroduced.

I'm not aware of any other recent work that will need to be undone.

NR and MPT have a 6 week blockade of Platform 3 booked in April to completely remove the bridge deck between the abutment that separates NR and Metrolink and the piers on NR platforms 2/3. The observant amongst you might have noticed the fencing around the piers on platform 2/3 late last year - this was to allow investigation works to be carried out on the piers to determine their load-baring capacities. Once the deck has gone, the existing bridge abutment that separates the Metrolink and NR will be partially removed (narrowed) to allow for platform 4 and the associated track. The deck will then be replaced with a longer span, allowing platform 4 and track to be built.

The service bridge on the east footpath is not the original one - it's longer.

The Northern Hub package was only awarded mid-2013, post completion of the Outwood Lane works. Construction work for Metrolink is nothing to do with NR (with NR being a stakeholder due to proximitey to their infrastructure), so provision by TfGM was never made for the Northern Hub works.

 

[snowball]

NR and MPT have a 6 week blockade of Platform 3 booked in April to completely remove the bridge deck between the abutment that separates NR and Metrolink and the piers on NR platforms 2/3. The observant amongst you might have noticed the fencing around the piers on platform 2/3 late last year - this was to allow investigation works to be carried out on the piers to determine their load-baring capacities. Once the deck has gone, the existing bridge abutment that separates the Metrolink and NR will be partially removed (narrowed) to allow for platform 4 and the associated track. The deck will then be replaced with a longer span, allowing platform 4 and track to be built.

The service bridge on the east footpath is not the original one - it's longer.

Many thanks for the information. I had been assuming that the deck removal and replacement would be done in two halves, to keep traffic flowing on Outwood Lane with contraflows on first one carriageway, then the other, as happened during the Metrolink bridgeworks. I take it from what you say that Outwood Lane will be totally closed for at least the 6 weeks for which platform 3 is closed and probably substantially longer. Though of course there is an alternative route from the M56 via the Terminal 2 access road, and from the east via the old Ringway Road.

The narrowing of the abutment is an addition to the list of recent works to be undone/redone.

 

[The Snap]

Many thanks for the information. I had been assuming that the deck removal and replacement would be done in two halves, to keep traffic flowing on Outwood Lane with contraflows on first one carriageway, then the other, as happened during the Metrolink bridgeworks. I take it from what you say that Outwood Lane will be totally closed for at least the 6 weeks for which platform 3 is closed and probably substantially longer. Though of course there is an alternative route from the M56 via the Terminal 2 access road, and from the east via the old Ringway Road.

The narrowing of the abutment is an addition to the list of recent works to be undone/redone.

As far as I know, the access to the Airport complex via Outwood Lane must remain open at all times, so will remain open throughout. The TM scheme, I assume, will be the same as that of the the original bridge works. Sorry if I mislead you!

Platform 3 will remain closed for 6 weeks, while all track level works are carried out by 24 hour working. Like you say, the demolition will be a bit tricky as the road will remain open one way or the other. Having said that, I wouldn't have thought the demolition will take that long - there's a 70 tonne excavator going on it!

 

[snowball]

As far as I know, the access to the Airport complex via Outwood Lane must remain open at all times, so will remain open throughout. The TM scheme, I assume, will be the same as that of the the original bridge works. Sorry if I mislead you!

Platform 3 will remain closed for 6 weeks, while all track level works are carried out by 24 hour working. Like you say, the demolition will be a bit tricky as the road will remain open one way or the other. Having said that, I wouldn't have thought the demolition will take that long - there's a 70 tonne excavator going on it!

Thanks.

I think Outwood Lane was totally closed for 16 days when the bridge was built under it for the third platform (now platform 1). There's a video of it on the web somewhere. A concrete box that had been built on the west side of the road was moved into place on transporters. I believe Joseph Locke was involved.

 

[Starmill]

I don't think I full understand what is actually happening here, I am unlikely to get the full picture until it's almost finished and I see it! But that is much clearer now... I think. So thank you.

Is there really sufficient room there for platform 3, NR track, NR track, Platform 4+Metrolink platform, Metrolink track, Metrolink track, Metrolink platform?

 

[snowball]

Yes there is enough room but only by making the new platform very narrow. Platform 4's track will be where the old low wall is.

It may help to look at the pictures and discussion on the Metrolink Extension thread at SSC - but they're interspersed among many non-airport-related pages!

Pictures looking east from Outwood Lane now show both walls of Platform 4 under construction. But it's even narrower east of Outwood Lane than west, because its Metrolink platform face does not need to extend that far east. West of Outwood Lane the platform 4 face wall is nearly finished but nothing is yet to be seen of the Metrolink face wall.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

NR and MPT have a 6 week blockade of Platform 3 booked in April to completely remove the bridge deck between the abutment that separates NR and Metrolink and the piers on NR platforms 2/3.

Have any official statements been made as how only two heavy-rail platforms at Manchester Airport railway station will operationally handle the rail services during this six-week period.

Will certain services both start and finish at other railway stations ?