tbtc
Veteran Member
I think that Light Rail can be the answer on some lines, but it really depends on the route. Many of the disbenefits are over-egged on here (you can’t take a bike on a tram, but then you can only fit roughly one bike per hundred passengers on a Network Rail train, so it’s not like huge numbers do this every day). The “through tickets” argument could easily be solved if the PTE wanted to – we can manage PlusBus tickets to hundreds of thousands of bus stops (but, again, it’s not like this affects the majority of journeys).
So, rather than take a “four legs good, two legs bad” approach, I’ve tried to assess the potential conversion of this line against the kind of criteria that we sometimes use to justify conversion:
Generic reasons to convert to Metrolink?
It’d free up space at National Rail stations/ free up paths due to avoiding conflicting movements (not a huge issue here – it’s only two trains an hour – but I suppose that those paths are useful at Salford)
It’d allow an increased number of services at the stations concerned (true – little scope of a third train an hour on the Atherton line, given that any path from central Manchester through Salford would be better used on more Bolton services, maybe even Blackburn via Bolton)
It’d allow the route to serve some places that National Rail is too inflexible to serve (this was true of Oldham Town Centre, but I can’t think of anywhere on this line where Metrolink could easily divert to? Salford Shopping City? There’s a large area around Swinton that’s some way from a National Rail station, but could Metrolink divert into it?)
Downsides
Impact upon Network Rail services – the current plan to electrify Manchester – Bolton – Wigan (and reduce Kirkby to a self contained shuttle) would keep services pretty simple – of the current five Wigan – Manchester services an hour you could run three EMUs via Bolton and two DMUs via Atherton (which ties up nicely with the two DMUs from Southport). Converting Atherton to Metrolink would mean running DMUs under the wires via Bolton, which isn’t great use of stock. A simple “all Victoria services are Atherton services are Southport services” and “all Piccadilly services are via Bolton services” timetable would simplify things for passengers – Metrolink would make them more complicated.
It’d also presumably mean a reduction in the number of Wigan – Manchester trains. It’s already complicated enough with trains from Wigan North Western serving Manchester Piccadilly, and trains from Wigan Wallgate serving Manchester Victoria or Manchester Piccadilly without bringing in another option.
How would you link to the current “network”? The line through Victoria is going in the wrong direction (north east) ,would you wait for the second city crossing and extend north west from Deansgate? Not sure how it’d link to the current Metrolink lines.
So, on balance, no. There are lines where light rail conversion currently works, there are lines where light rail conversion looks attractive (I’ve suggested closing Rotherham Central in the past), but I think that there are other priorities in Greater Manchester right now (if you want a new Metrolink route then Rochdale – Bury – Bolton would have to be a contender?).
The only way I’d consider it a good idea would be if you electrified to Southport and maintained the current National Rail frequency from Wigan to Manchester, but I can’t see that happening – if anything, a frequent tram from Wigan to Manchester may be the excuse to cut the National Rail frequency down to just a couple of trains an hour (all via Bolton, of course).
So, rather than take a “four legs good, two legs bad” approach, I’ve tried to assess the potential conversion of this line against the kind of criteria that we sometimes use to justify conversion:
Generic reasons to convert to Metrolink?
It’d free up space at National Rail stations/ free up paths due to avoiding conflicting movements (not a huge issue here – it’s only two trains an hour – but I suppose that those paths are useful at Salford)
It’d allow an increased number of services at the stations concerned (true – little scope of a third train an hour on the Atherton line, given that any path from central Manchester through Salford would be better used on more Bolton services, maybe even Blackburn via Bolton)
It’d allow the route to serve some places that National Rail is too inflexible to serve (this was true of Oldham Town Centre, but I can’t think of anywhere on this line where Metrolink could easily divert to? Salford Shopping City? There’s a large area around Swinton that’s some way from a National Rail station, but could Metrolink divert into it?)
Downsides
Impact upon Network Rail services – the current plan to electrify Manchester – Bolton – Wigan (and reduce Kirkby to a self contained shuttle) would keep services pretty simple – of the current five Wigan – Manchester services an hour you could run three EMUs via Bolton and two DMUs via Atherton (which ties up nicely with the two DMUs from Southport). Converting Atherton to Metrolink would mean running DMUs under the wires via Bolton, which isn’t great use of stock. A simple “all Victoria services are Atherton services are Southport services” and “all Piccadilly services are via Bolton services” timetable would simplify things for passengers – Metrolink would make them more complicated.
It’d also presumably mean a reduction in the number of Wigan – Manchester trains. It’s already complicated enough with trains from Wigan North Western serving Manchester Piccadilly, and trains from Wigan Wallgate serving Manchester Victoria or Manchester Piccadilly without bringing in another option.
How would you link to the current “network”? The line through Victoria is going in the wrong direction (north east) ,would you wait for the second city crossing and extend north west from Deansgate? Not sure how it’d link to the current Metrolink lines.
So, on balance, no. There are lines where light rail conversion currently works, there are lines where light rail conversion looks attractive (I’ve suggested closing Rotherham Central in the past), but I think that there are other priorities in Greater Manchester right now (if you want a new Metrolink route then Rochdale – Bury – Bolton would have to be a contender?).
The only way I’d consider it a good idea would be if you electrified to Southport and maintained the current National Rail frequency from Wigan to Manchester, but I can’t see that happening – if anything, a frequent tram from Wigan to Manchester may be the excuse to cut the National Rail frequency down to just a couple of trains an hour (all via Bolton, of course).
