Manchester Metrolink (Non speculative discussion)

[Tetchytyke]

It would be interesting to know if the Etihad deal includes any benefit for Metrolink, such as the cost of re-naming the station and changing everything that references that name, both at the start and when the deal ends.

AFAIK Etihad don't sponsor the tram stop, that part of SportsCity is called Etihad Campus because Manchester City own it and because Manchester City pull all sorts of financial shenanigans to do with sponsorship (115 shenanigans, to be exact!)

I can't imagine that Metrolink would get any benefit from the naming, and I'd also imagine that Metrolink would be on the hook for the cost of changing the name if Etihad/Man City ever leave.

I’m pretty sure Trafford Palazzo has a code linked with Event City but I am unsure about that one

Yeah, the code is EVC, even after all the various re-naming that particular stop has had.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

AFAIK Etihad don't sponsor the tram stop, that part of SportsCity is called Etihad Campus.

The stop name just refers to the location, as is the case with Abraham Moss.

 

[edwin_m]

The stop name just refers to the location, as is the case with Abraham Moss.

However, if Etihad end their sponsorship and someone else comes in, then either someone has to find the money to change the stop to match the new stadium name, or it stays the same and becomes increasingly confusing as people forget the reason for it.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

However, if Etihad end their sponsorship and someone else comes in, then either someone has to find the money to change the stop to match the new stadium name, or it stays the same and becomes increasingly confusing as people forget the reason for it.

Wasn't exactly a major problem when 'intu Trafford Centre' tram stop had its name changed to 'The Trafford Centre' in early 2021.

 

[Tetchytyke]

However, if Etihad end their sponsorship and someone else comes in, then either someone has to find the money to change the stop to match the new stadium name, or it stays the same and becomes increasingly confusing as people forget the reason for it.

Changing the station signage and re-programming the PIS wouldn't cost very much. And I'm sure a new sponsor of the sports facility (should Man City ever leave or change ownership) would be easily encourages to give a bit of money towards the cost.

For the internal systems I'm sure they'd just leave the code as it is (SPC- SportsCity) just as they have with Trafford Palazzo- that station is now on its third name in six years but the internal code still reflects its original name.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Changing the station signage and re-programming the PIS wouldn't cost very much. And I'm sure a new sponsor of the sports facility (should Man City ever leave or change ownership) would be easily encourages to give a bit of money towards the cost.

Not wishing to rain on anyone's parade, but noting the size and capacity of the existing stadium used by Manchester City, why on earth should they relocate from there? They also have the smaller stadium across the road from there.

 

[Starmill]

Changing the station signage and re-programming the PIS wouldn't cost very much. And I'm sure a new sponsor of the sports facility (should Man City ever leave or change ownership) would be easily encourages to give a bit of money towards the cost.

For the internal systems I'm sure they'd just leave the code as it is (SPC- SportsCity) just as they have with Trafford Palazzo- that station is now on its third name in six years but the internal code still reflects its original name.

Indeed, the codes aren't needed for anything customer-facing.

 

[RikGarner]

The frustrating thing for me is that I saw no communication about the frequency changes. I travel on the network every working day and I had no idea of the changes. I came back from a week off to be confused about why the Bury trams took so long to show up at Piccadilly. It was only coming here I discovered what was going on.
Shoddy from TFGM.

 

[Class 466]

The frustrating thing for me is that I saw no communication about the frequency changes. I travel on the network every working day and I had no idea of the changes. I came back from a week off to be confused about why the Bury trams took so long to show up at Piccadilly. It was only coming here I discovered what was going on.
Shoddy from TFGM.

Every time they posted about it, it was buried in news articles about infrastructure investment or engineering works coming up. Rather than posting an upfront statement online solely about the frequency changes and then using the information boards at stations to publicise it - which pretty much any other public service operator would do.

 

[lowe1409]

Every time they posted about it, it was buried in news articles about infrastructure investment or engineering works coming up. Rather than posting an upfront statement online solely about the frequency changes and then using the information boards at stations to publicise it - which pretty much any other public service operator would do.

Maybe they was hoping the average user wouldn't notice the difference between 12 and 15 minutes? On paper it's a very minor change on the face of it being only 3 minutes.

 

[Class 466]

Maybe they was hoping the average user wouldn't notice the difference between 12 and 15 minutes? On paper it's a very minor change on the face of it being only 3 minutes.

Some stops saw their frequency drop from 6 minutes to 15, that is a huge change.

 

[lowe1409]

Some stops saw their frequency drop from 6 minutes to 15, that is a huge change.

True, but admittedly that change was better communicated when they redrew the map to exclude the Etihad to mediacity line. I feel it was only fairly recent those additional services started back up wasn't it?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Some stops saw their frequency drop from 6 minutes to 15, that is a huge change.

Which stops were they?

 

[lowe1409]

Which stops were they?

I believe it's the media city to Etihad additional services that has been axed in this new change.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Which stops were they?

Exchange Quay to Harbour City.

Have to smile at the fact they've left the '12 minutes or less bus and tram map' up and haven't taken off the parts of Metrolink where it no longer applies.

 

[lowe1409]

Exchange Quay to Harbour City.

Don't forget new Islington to the Etihad. The latter two may be quiet but new Islington is certainly far from it

 

[Class 466]

Don't forget new Islington to the Etihad. The latter two may be quiet but new Islington is certainly far from it

The Altrincham to Piccadilly service goes to Etihad Campus all day now so they haven’t seen the same drop off

 

[Tetchytyke]

Don't forget new Islington to the Etihad.

Altrincham to Piccadilly trams have been extended to Etihad Campus, so that stretch still has two lines serving it.

 

[Scotty]

I somehow never percieved that the "Etihad" in the tram stop/area name had any association with the airline until now.

"Etihad" means "unity", which is interesting considering City's rivals are United.

 

[lowe1409]

The Altrincham to Piccadilly service goes to Etihad Campus all day now so they haven’t seen the same drop off

Altrincham to Piccadilly trams have been extended to Etihad Campus, so that stretch still has two lines serving it.

Makes sense I guess. Feels weird that branch gets to keep it's additional service over the other. I feel it's always been the quieter of the two branches. Though I guess it is an easy extension

 

[507 001]

I think Anchorage and Salford Quays do too as they were also renamed just before opening.

ANC and SFQ respectively. If the codes were ever wrong for these stations it was corrected long before I started as a Driver (more than a decade ago).

I'd also imagine that Metrolink would be on the hook for the cost of changing the name if Etihad/Man City ever leave.

This is the exact reason why the name wasn’t changed in any internal systems/documentation. The Etihad campus name boards on the station itself only have stickers over the original Sports City name.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Metrolink does of course run to a timetable.

With regards to a published timetable issued by the operator in a form normally accepted as such, how many of the currently operational light rail operators publish such a timetable.

 

[jus363]

3053 on a low loader this morning 07.45 on the M60

 

[Rail Ranger]

More engineering work is taking place on Metrolink from Monday 1st June to Tuesday 9th June (inclusive). The line through Market Street and Shudehill will be closed. This is a summary of the changes:
All services from Altrincham will operate to Bury via Exchange Square.
Services from the Trafford Centre will operate to Etihad Campus.
Services from Manchester Airport will operate to Victoria via Exchange Square.
Passengers from the Altrincham and Bury lines will be able to change at St Peter's Square to get to Piccadilly station (on an Etihad Campus or Ashton tram).
More information can be found here:
Tram improvement works and disruptions | Bee Network | Powered by TfGM https://share.google/WgfbSuhQKDb6eORbE

 

[pdsalford]

They've not done much work at Piccadilly Gardens this week, other than sit and watch somebody wielding a mallet. It was closed for 2 months last year, again this year, when will they finish any work?

 

[Tramfan]

More engineering work is taking place on Metrolink from Monday 1st June to Tuesday 9th June (inclusive). The line through Market Street and Shudehill will be closed. This is a summary of the changes:
All services from Altrincham will operate to Bury via Exchange Square.
Services from the Trafford Centre will operate to Etihad Campus.
Services from Manchester Airport will operate to Victoria via Exchange Square.
Passengers from the Altrincham and Bury lines will be able to change at St Peter's Square to get to Piccadilly station (on an Etihad Campus or Ashton tram).
More information can be found here:
Tram improvement works and disruptions | Bee Network | Powered by TfGM https://share.google/WgfbSuhQKDb6eORbE

When did that get added? I was planning a visit there next week, but was trying to avoid all the engineering work

 

[Howardh]

More engineering work is taking place on Metrolink from Monday 1st June to Tuesday 9th June (inclusive). The line through Market Street and Shudehill will be closed. This is a summary of the changes:
All services from Altrincham will operate to Bury via Exchange Square.
Services from the Trafford Centre will operate to Etihad Campus.
Services from Manchester Airport will operate to Victoria via Exchange Square.
Passengers from the Altrincham and Bury lines will be able to change at St Peter's Square to get to Piccadilly station (on an Etihad Campus or Ashton tram).
More information can be found here:
Tram improvement works and disruptions | Bee Network | Powered by TfGM https://share.google/WgfbSuhQKDb6eORbE

There's a replacement bus Piccadilly/Victoria as well! Looking at the map is appears to call at Shudehill.

 

[Rail Ranger]

When did that get added? I was planning a visit there next week, but was trying to avoid all the engineering work

It's been planned for quite a while. The only section that will not be operating is between Piccadilly Gardens and Victoria.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 May 2026 ==

There's a replacement bus Piccadilly/Victoria as well! Looking at the map is appears to call at Shudehill.

The dedicated Metrolink replacement bus between Piccadilly and Victoria will only be operating during the periods when the normal free bus between Piccadilly and Victoria is not running.

 

[Howardh]

The dedicated Metrolink replacement bus between Piccadilly and Victoria will only be operating during the periods when the normal free bus between Piccadilly and Victoria is not running.

Thanks, they should mention that on the map! Under normal conditions a direct bus service Vic-Picc would be useful, I find the tram and free bus take a long time!

 

[Rail Ranger]

Also there will be a complete closure of the Altrincham, Eccles and Trafford Centre lines from Monday 13th July to Sunday 2nd August (inclusive) due to track relaying at Cornbrook and Deansgate-Castlefield.