We're waiting for the Oldham Loop...

[krisk]

I'm guessing if it starts on a 6 min frequency then alternate trams will do Piccadilly/Chorlton

Not sure on the plan for evening runs tho

 

[Class377/5]

I'm guessing if it starts on a 6 min frequency then alternate trams will do Piccadilly/Chorlton

Not sure on the plan for evening runs tho

If they really need to do a crowd buster to Oldham, no reason for not doing a double M5000 to Piccadilly for peak.

** EDIT **

I emailed Metrolink this morning this

Hello,

Can you tell me is what the expected frequency of*
services on the line to Oldham when it initially*
opens?

Also, is there any plans to run doubles on the*
Oldham line to cope with peak crowding?

Thanks

And this is the reply I got minutes later....

Dear Mr XXXXX

Thank you for your email.

I am sorry we do not have any information on the frequency of the trams
yet as the timetable is still being written.

Kind Regards

Customer Experience Team

 

[martin2345uk]

Hey Mr S, didn't realise this was you on here!

Would be nice to have a 6 min service from opening but if they did I'd feel a bit short changed as that was what we were originally promised on the Chorlton line!

 

[Class377/5]

Hey Mr S, didn't realise this was you on here!

Would be nice to have a 6 min service from opening but if they did I'd feel a bit short changed as that was what we were originally promised on the Chorlton line!

I'm everywhere. Why I know so much!

 

[familyguy99]

Hi All

I'm guessing if it starts on a 6 min frequency then alternate trams will do Piccadilly/Chorlton

Not sure on the plan for evening runs tho

^^^^ From what I hear is that Oldham line when it opens to Mumps will be 12 mins service and will run to St Werburgh's Road mean it will't even go to Piccadilly.

Also on MEN website is taking about trams testing on Oldham line

Metrolink trams testing on long-awaited Oldham line

Regular tests are being carried out on the Oldham Metrolink line – in the hope it will hit its target to open in spring.

The long-awaited line has been delayed due to problems with a new computer control system.

The first half of the line from Victoria to Central Park in Newton Heath had been due to open last spring, with the second half set for last autumn.

But bosses last year put the target for the whole line back to this spring, with news on the final opening date still awaited.

Test trams have now become a regular features on the Oldham line as bosses have been working to iron out problems with the new control system, called TMS.

A report prepared for transport chiefs in March said: “The open date will be subject to technical challenges with the introduction of the Tram Management System.

“By introducing the service direct to Oldham Mumps, the driver training element... can be delivered much more effectively and efficiently than previously envisaged with the original two staged approach.”

The report said track and infrastructure including the tram stops are now ‘substantially complete’.

It said tram testing from Central Park was being undertaken as part of the overall testing and commissioning of the line.

TMS, which controls the points and signals, caused major disruption during trials at MediaCity in September 2010 and separate problems also delayed the Chorlton extension.

A report said ‘technical complexities’ were delaying the roll-out of TMS across the expanding network.

It said a delay of between three and six months was likely on the line beyond Oldham to Rochdale – putting that back to autumn or winter this year. The report said a three-month delay on the east Manchester line to Droylsden was also ‘likely’ – which would also put it back to autumn.

A plan is being considered to run trams to City’s Etihad Stadium in advance of the full opening of the Droylsden line.

The new lines are part of a £1.4bn ‘Big Bang’ Metrolink expansion, which is due to be completed by 2016.

The Chorlton line is due to be extended to Didsbury and to Wythenshawe and the airport, and the Droylsden line will go on to Ashton-under-Lyne. It will make Metrolink the biggest tram network in Britain.

Drivers in Oldham have been facing disruption due to roadworks for the construction of the next phase of the line to Rochdale.

A website has been set up by Oldham council showing travel alerts and areas of congestion.

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...ink-trams-testing-on-long-awaited-oldham-line

^^^^ Read the commect at bottom of that link it funny but true what people are saying about Oldham.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...ink-trams-testing-on-long-awaited-oldham-line

^^^^ Read the commect at bottom of that link it funny but true what people are saying about Oldham.

I think that Oldham Council have been quite thoughtful in providing such a facility, when you consider all the relocation of services that have had to be effected in the town centre general area, as a result of the coming of the Metrolink system to the town.

 

[Class377/5]

Latest information is due to a signalling issue on the single line section training has been delayed. Rumour of a July opening have been mentioned.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Latest information is due to a signalling issue on the single line section training has been delayed. Rumour of a July opening have been mentioned.

I did once ask a question at the start of 2012 about the opening of the section to Oldham on the SkyscraperCity website section that concerns the Manchester Metrolink and was informed in a posting in response to my query, that I should not query any statements made by drivers at Queens Road depot, as they knew "far more" than members of the travelling public.

How false that reply to my posting now seems to be..:roll:

 

[Nym]

So what used to be 4tph to Oldham to be replaced by shorter trams on promise of higher frequency is actually only going to be 5tph with stock anything up to half the size it used to be, massive overcrowding anyone?

 

[WatcherZero]

Its only half the former route initially, it wont have to deal with Rochdale to Manchester passengers for example.

 

[martin2345uk]

So what used to be 4tph to Oldham to be replaced by shorter trams on promise of higher frequency is actually only going to be 5tph with stock anything up to half the size it used to be, massive overcrowding anyone?

I know.. I really hope they manage to up it to the originally planned 10tph sooner rather than later...

 

[Nym]

I know.. I really hope they manage to up it to the originally planned 10tph sooner rather than later...

Doubt it, but they'll claim the massive overcrowding as a sucsess for the 'new' metrolink line. Said it before and I'll say it again, the price they've paid they could have just bought new trains and electrified the loop with 25kV OHL...

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Doubt it, but they'll claim the massive overcrowding as a success for the 'new' metrolink line.

Has any fare banding structure been introduced for the first section to Oldham. I say this, as when the Altrincham to Manchester Metrolink line fare banding system led to considerable increases in fares compared to the rail fares that were charged previously.

Oldham people are not likely to be pleased to be offered over-priced ticketing prices for overcrowded trams in comparison to those fare prices offered by the bus companies with modern buses available.

 

[martin2345uk]

Nothing's been made public as yet Paul regarding fares or indeed anything else

 

[Nym]

I'd expect the same to happen with Oldham as did with Alty and Bury, total overcrowding and failure. While maintaining insanely high prices.

 

[WestCoast]

Maybe I am too used to non-PTE fares, but Metrolink fares have never seemed that excessive to me.

 

[Nym]

Not just single fares, but severe lack of intergration into other ticketing systems...

eg. GM County Card is NOT valid outside the City Zone (Rail + Bus Season)

There is NO Multi Modal Season Ticket available.

Though tickets are a PITA to find...

A lot of these can be solved by integrating Metrolink into ATOC.

 

[WestCoast]

Yes, that's not great but then ticket integration nationally is generally poor compared to elsewhere in Europe

ATOC would be an option, but even better would be a fully integrated TfGM fare zone covering all modes of transport with free multi-modal transfers on single tickets. Not likely soon with the relationship between the deregulated bus market and other modes of transport, but it should be the target.

Who knows what happened to the smart card plan.

 

[Nym]

Yes, that's not great but then ticket integration nationally is generally poor compared to elsewhere in Europe

ATOC would be an option, but even better would be a fully integrated TfGM fare zone covering all modes of transport with free multi-modal transfers on single tickets. Not likely soon with the relationship between the deregulated bus market and other modes of transport, but it should be the target.

Who knows what happened to the smart card plan.

It died when we threw out the idea of legalised raping of motorists' wallets (a lot of people don't have any choice but to drive into Manchester)...

 

[WatcherZero]

Actually no, its already been tested with rollout next year.

 

[krisk]

Good, hopefully less money going direct to First

 

[martin2345uk]

Had my first visit to the Oldham Line today and got some photos and videos of the training trams... I've posted it all on SkyScraperCity but here are my favourites:

Tram coming over the finback bridge near Central Park:

Video of the tram going the other way:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0cPwGBJixE

It feels like excitement is building, in the same way it did prior to the opening of the Chorlton line a year ago..

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

On the Oldham line, have all the problems that recently delayed the full test runnings now finally been solved ?

 

[martin2345uk]

It certainly looked that way Paul, today they were nipping up and down the single line section with gay abandon

 

[krisk]

Test tram running to Oldham this morning too

 

[martin2345uk]

It's driver training now rather than testing, so should be a fairly regular occurrence for the next couple of weeks, followed by a period of ghost running, followed by..

OPEN! Woohoo

 

[Ivo]

Is there enough room under the bridge for the line to be electrified in the future? I can see it being proposed at some point in the next 10 years or so...

 

[futureA]

Is there enough room under the bridge for the line to be electrified in the future? I can see it being proposed at some point in the next 10 years or so...

It probably wouldn't have been built without sufficient clearance.

 

[martin2345uk]

Trams are out on the Oldham line again today

 

[familyguy99]

Hi All

Here are some pics that I took yesterday at South Chadderton and Freehold stop, they more on my Flickr pages.

Freehold stop


Freehold Metrolink stop


Freehold Metrolink stop2


lift at Freehold stop

South Chadderton stop


South Chadderton platform 2


line heading off to Oldham


sign at South Chadderton


ticket machine at South Chadderton

http://www.flickr.com/photos/metrolink_work/