Manchester Metrolink fails again

[northwichcat]

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...ms_to_altrincham_until_thursday_say_metrolink

Nothing unusual about trams being cancelled or replaced by buses, but Man U happen to be playing at home tonight.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

You will not believe how much I enjoyed that story - due to my strong dispisation of the Metrolink. People of Oldham, Shaw, Droylesdon & Didsbury: you have this to come

 

[WatcherZero]

Trams still running from the city direction to Old Trafford thankfully. In other news, Scooter driver drives into the side of tram in city centre.

Not going to help their campaign to be allowed onboard.

 

[tbtc]

You will not believe how much I enjoyed that story - due to my strong dispisation of the Metrolink. People of Oldham, Shaw, Droylesdon & Didsbury: you have this to come

I can't remember the last time there was disruption on local trains in Greater Manchester. 1983?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I can't remember the last time there was disruption on local trains in Greater Manchester. 1983?

Don't know if thats in support of my statement or not, but I still hate trams!!!

 

[tbtc]

Don't know if thats in support of my statement or not, but I still hate trams!!!

It wasn't in support

Yes, there are tram problems from time to time, but with all the disruptions to local train services in Lancashire over the years I don't think we're in any position to say rail is better than tram because of this incident with the wires

 

[MidnightFlyer]

It wasn't in support

Yes, there are tram problems from time to time, but with all the disruptions to local train services in Lancashire over the years I don't think we're in any position to say rail is better than tram because of this incident with the wires

Sorry, mate I wasn't saying trains were better, I just have an amazingly big dislike of trams, not for this incident, just the notion that on routes like Altricnham via Sale, Bury and oldham, trams are better than trains, roll on 2012, and see how Much oldham and trams will fail, capacity will be far too small.....

 

[WatcherZero]

Quite easy to do the maths.

One Class 142 every 15 minutes = 408-488 seats per hour (not sure the seating layout of the 5 142's working the line), 400 standing
Shaw-Manchester 1 M5000 every 6 minutes = 600 seats, 1460 standing per hour
Rochdale-Shaw 1 M5000 every 12 minutes = 300 seats, 730 standing.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Quite easy to do the maths.

One Class 142 every 15 minutes = 408-488 seats per hour (not sure the seating layout of the 5 142's working the line), 400 standing
Shaw-Manchester 1 M5000 every 6 minutes = 600 seats, 1460 standing per hour
Rochdale-Shaw 1 M5000 every 12 minutes = 300 seats, 730 standing.

So does that make train or tram better. i take it train ? i'm no good with maths

 

[WatcherZero]

If your travelling between Shaw and Rochdale theirs a slightly more frequent service, fewer seats but more standing room. If your travelling between Shaw and Manchester theirs more seats, 3x the standing room and almost 3x the frequency of service meaning less waiting.

 

[Class377/5]

Not going to help their campaign to be allowed onboard.

Maybe they've given up and decided to go straight for the trams?

 

[robert2000]

as a man city fan myself, i am dissapointed that the extension work to our football ground is taking too long.
they should open each station in sections, not when its at droylesden

 

[313103]

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...ms_to_altrincham_until_thursday_say_metrolink

Nothing unusual about trams being cancelled or replaced by buses, but Man U happen to be playing at home tonight.

Good its what the glory hunting utd fans deserve, most wont be using it to get home anyway, and those that are will be using it to get to Piccadilly Station. The rest will be clogging the M6 with coaches to all 4 corners of the UK but mostly Wales and Cornwall.

 

[radamfi]

If your travelling between Shaw and Rochdale theirs a slightly more frequent service, fewer seats but more standing room. If your travelling between Shaw and Manchester theirs more seats, 3x the standing room and almost 3x the frequency of service meaning less waiting.

The old rail service was every 30 minutes between Shaw and Rochdale and 4 times an hour between Shaw and Manchester (2 fasts and 2 slows per hour).

The biggest improvement in frequency will be in the evening and on Sunday where the train ran every hour but trams will run every 12 minutes in the evening and every 15 minutes (or better) on Sunday on the whole route.

 

[northwichcat]

Yes, there are tram problems from time to time, but with all the disruptions to local train services in Lancashire over the years I don't think we're in any position to say rail is better than tram because of this incident with the wires

With both tram and train problems there are incidents such as someone suffering a heart attack on board which can't be prevented and aren't a fault of the 'system'.

The problem with trains is because they run to a proper timetable and are usually less frequent than trams it means that the cancelled train is noticed by all, while the cancelled tram may not be.

The long delay in getting Metrolink back up and running is something that seems to happen every time. Being smaller than the rail network seems to mean they have a limited number of engineers and they can't divert trams as there's no other lines to divert them on to.

 

[WatcherZero]

The unable to divert is true, 2nd city centre line will partly address that but there will still be the Cornbrook-Gmex stretch that almost every service will use. As to other incidents, failed vehicles are usually towed between 10-30m though can take an hour for services to debunch and return to normal timings. Problems with track or overheads I dont really have anything to compare to, quite often track problems such as flanges are fixed without breaking service with a temporary 4 or 5mph speed restriction over the section while their working on it.

some pictures of the messed up wires:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=21127&id=100000437713633&l=d1d10431b9

 

[tbtc]

as a man city fan myself, i am dissapointed that the extension work to our football ground is taking too long.
they should open each station in sections, not when its at droylesden

That's my one criticism of Metrolink. They should have built the routes in stages (so that the Manchester - Rochdale - Shaw - Oldham route remained open whilst the Manchester - Oldham stretch was being built, then the trams would be running to Oldham when the Shaw stretch was being built later on)