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Oldham tunnel: was its use by Metrolink only intended to be temporary?

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Ianno87

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Wasn't the Oldham tunnel thing always supposed to be temporary, to open the route before the Oldham street section was ready? So not really a hiccup nor abortive work.

If Phase 3a had been funded, but 3b never was, it would have been de-facto permanent. It basically made Phase 3a a credible thing to do on its own if it turned out Phase 3b were never to happen.

In practice, 3b became funded after 3a was well under way...but not doing Oldham Tunnel at all would've meant a significantly protracted conversion of the line to Metrolink until Oldham Town Centre was finished.

(On the Rochdale line, 3a was the conversion of the former heavy rail route, 3b was the Oldham/Rochdale town centre sections)
 

WatcherZero

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Yes, also another example of plans changing during construction was originally they were going to use the viaduct for 3A but they discovered after construction started that it was beyond saving so they had to demolish it entirely and do an at grade road crossing.
 

edwin_m

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Wasn't the Oldham tunnel thing always supposed to be temporary, to open the route before the Oldham street section was ready? So not really a hiccup nor abortive work.
I'm pretty sure if it had all been given the go-ahead at the same time that the tunnel would just have been abandoned and the trams run through the town centre from day 1. As it was, by the time the tunnels were being converted they knew they were temporary - I think they did keep the track and they certainly tried to save as much cost as possible recognizing that it wouldn't have to last long. Most of the OLE could probably have been unbolted and taken away even if intended to be permanent.
 

markymark2000

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If you're referring to the "viaduct" (actually mostly retained embankment) across the erstwhile Mumps roundabout then I've not heard that story but I would think if that was the idea it would have been abandoned pretty quick once 3B got the go-ahead. They would have had to demolish it with a closure of several months before it could be linked to the at-grade 3B route. As it is they connected 3B to 3A with a point on the outbound track only, so trams could get on and off the central section for testing and training, then re-aligned the other track during a much shorter blockade at commissioning. At the Werneth end the divergence was on a slab that had fixings for both routes so they could remove one set of rails and install the other.

I'm pretty sure if it had all been given the go-ahead at the same time that the tunnel would just have been abandoned and the trams run through the town centre from day 1. As it was, by the time the tunnels were being converted they knew they were temporary - I think they did keep the track and they certainly tried to save as much cost as possible recognizing that it wouldn't have to last long. Most of the OLE could probably have been unbolted and taken away even if intended to be permanent.
I would have kept the tunnel as it was a good diversionary route for if something happened in Oldham Town Centre. It could even have been used for getting trains to/from Shaw/Rochdale for the start and end of service to save on staff hours.
 

Ianno87

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I would have kept the tunnel as it was a good diversionary route for if something happened in Oldham Town Centre. It could even have been used for getting trains to/from Shaw/Rochdale for the start and end of service to save on staff hours.

The cost of maintaining two routes simply didn't justify it, especially when the former Mumps station site could be sold off for redevelopment.

Incidents in the Town Centre, when they happen, are just managed by using the crossovers at both ends.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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The cost of maintaining two routes simply didn't justify it, especially when the former Mumps station site could be sold off for redevelopment.Incidents in the Town Centre, when they happen, are just managed by using the crossovers at both ends.

Was some of the trackwork near the Oldham Mumps roundabout still kept and still able to be seen in the ground-level roadway?
 

Ianno87

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Was some of the trackwork near the Oldham Mumps roundabout still kept and still able to be seen in the ground-level roadway?

The tracks are still there, set into the tarmac at the Oldham Way/Bottom O' Th' Moor junction.

I think it was just easier to tarmac over in the short term. Presume it'll get dug up properly next time the road gets fully resurfaced (given that it had only just been done when the rails were laid in the first place).
 
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