Manchester Metrolink (Non speculative discussion)

[richard_S]

Metro link has operated for many years with various operators all taking profits. I think it has now come to the time when a lot of money needs to be spent to resolve a lot of problems on the network.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

More engineering works on Metrolink, hopefully will put an end to a lot of speed restrictions we’ve seen recently. Hopefully they’ll tackle Deansgate area next, it’s painfully slow especially on a double set.

What area in the Deansgate location is being referred to? Is it the Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop line approaches?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

What area in the Deansgate location is being referred to? Is it the Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop line approaches?

Cornbrook - Deansgate - St Peter's Square is quite painful to travel on due to the constant cat and mouse chasing of trams right in front. You pull out from Cornbrook then break several times on the bridge, and then pause outside Castlefield, and then on the ramp down to St Peter's Square, and then outside of St Peter's Square. It's great in the sense that as soon as a tram pulls out of Cornbrook another is already pulling in, but it's a nightmare when your tram is even running faster on the street running sections than on segregated 50mph lines.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Cornbrook - Deansgate - St Peter's Square is quite painful to travel on due to the constant cat and mouse chasing of trams right in front. You pull out from Cornbrook then break several times on the bridge, and then pause outside Castlefield, and then on the ramp down to St Peter's Square, and then outside of St Peter's Square. It's great in the sense that as soon as a tram pulls out of Cornbrook another is already pulling in, but it's a nightmare when your tram is even running faster on the street running sections than on segregated 50mph lines.

Is that a sign that particular line section has now reached the optimum operational TpH figure?

 

[507 001]

Anyone know what time frame this is?
07:00-09:00 16:00:1800?

• Etihad Campus – Victoria (peak-time service)

0700-1900 roughly.

Cornbrook - Deansgate - St Peter's Square is quite painful to travel on due to the constant cat and mouse chasing of trams right in front. You pull out from Cornbrook then break several times on the bridge, and then pause outside Castlefield, and then on the ramp down to St Peter's Square, and then outside of St Peter's Square. It's great in the sense that as soon as a tram pulls out of Cornbrook another is already pulling in, but it's a nightmare when your tram is even running faster on the street running sections than on segregated 50mph lines.

Cornbrook to Deansgate isn’t a 50mph segregated line, it is 30mph IB, 25mph OB.

There is a long standing 15mph TSR in both directions across the birdcage that isn’t helping.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

So much as eight consecutive eastbound trams were visible queuing at Cornbrook this afternoon - not even the direction of the rush hour flow!

(Images shown stacks of trams backed up outside Cornbrook)

 

[507 001]

So much as eight consecutive eastbound trams were visible queuing at Cornbrook this afternoon - not even the direction of the rush hour flow!

(Images shown stacks of trams backed up outside Cornbrook)

Something like that is usually the result of something going pop.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Those of you who keep praising the newer M5000s over the others, do any of you on the Altrincham line want to swap with me here on Eccles? I much prefer the older trams primarily because the only difference I can notice, is that they have two very spacious single seats, which are like gold dust to me. 3075 and upwards have a seat of three longitudinal/sideways seats in that space instead, and I almost exclusively get those trams.

The single seats are like gold dust to me. Not only are they in the middle of where two seats would be (so you get more arm room and you're not wedged against the window, so you have optimum tram comfort ), but they avoid situations like on Saturday morning, where a woman stinking of weed sat firmly next to me, leaned right over to me, and spent twenty minutes invading my personal space while telling me that James Arthur once loved her and that all of his songs are about her. I was too scared to move! They also have little almost tables, perfect for holding your morning Red Bull

Image shows said seats





Meanwhile, as a Langworthy - Exchange Square commuter, I'm starting to really resent the MediaCityUK stop all the while all Eccles Deansgate shuttles are calling there, and that's as someone who will literally be starting a masters course at MediaCity this week, so have the most motive to appreciate it! The reversal makes an already sluggish commute infuriatingly longer. It's perfect and handy when MediaCity Etihad services are running, but when they're not, for god's sake just let people walk (barely takes ninety seconds) from Broadway... I can't wait for the Mosley Street blockade to be over.

 

[AndyD4]

Hi I'm down to my last 5 trams for "haulage"
3005
3015
3027
3100
3139
Does anyone know if they are in service or are long term stored? Thanks for any help.

 

[redgate]

pretty sure 3005 was damaged in collision during lockdown and they took parts off it to repair other ones (while it was impossible to source bits otherwise) there’s an M5000 group on facebook with loads of details like this regularly posted - might be worth asking on there too?

 

[507 001]

They have all been long term stored recently, although 100 is back in traffic now.

 

[Tramfan]

3015 returned to service fairly recently, 3027 has been out of use since 2019 I believe

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

3015 returned to service fairly recently, 3027 has been out of use since 2019 I believe

Five years!!

 

[py_megapixel]

The effect of reversing on the MCUK branch on the service to the rest of the is ridiculous. A lot of people would have no difficulty getting off one station before MCUK, walking a few minutes and getting back on the same tram one station after MCUK.

As a turnback during the day it's not unreasonable, but it really should be closed at other times with passengers told to use Harbour City. If that's considered too confusing or there are accessibility/personal safety concerns with expecting people to do that walk then run a shuttle to Harbour City. Adding several minutes to every Eccles journey because of one little spur added on as an afterthought to what was already a very well-used line is disproportionate.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

The effect of reversing on the MCUK branch on the service to the rest of the is ridiculous. A lot of people would have no difficulty getting off one station before MCUK, walking a few minutes and getting back on the same tram one station after MCUK.

As a turnback during the day it's not unreasonable, but it really should be closed at other times with passengers told to use Harbour City. If that's considered too confusing or there are accessibility/personal safety concerns with expecting people to do that walk then run a shuttle to Harbour City. Adding several minutes to every Eccles journey because of one little spur added on as an afterthought to what was already a very well-used line is disproportionate.

I agree, even as someone who takes the tram to MediaCity for uni (from Weaste normally). When travelling to the city centre the spur is infuriating. Its a great stop - but only for its own services like the shuttle to Etihad. Not for Eccles services.

 

[johntea]

Just tried to ‘tap in’ for Metrolink (first journey of the day) and initially got a green tick but then a ‘Not authorised to travel’ red screen

To be safe I purchased a paper ticket with cash instead but I can already see on my bank app a £0.10 pending charge for Metrolink so a bit odd!

What are the likely consequences as to what they may end up charging if I just tapped in the once and not out anywhere?

I guess if the worst comes to the worst I’ll keep my paper ticket handy to email customer services…

 

[cool110]

To be safe I purchased a paper ticket with cash instead but I can already see on my bank app a £0.10 pending charge for Metrolink so a bit odd!

That's a pre-auth to check that the card is working.

What are the likely consequences as to what they may end up charging if I just tapped in the once and not out anywhere?

The zone 1-4 single of £4.60.

 

[Par]

Should never have done away with ability to buy one day Travelcards on the app. I understand the rationale of making things more difficult for the “pay when challenged“ passenger, but for honest passengers it is both less convenient and in my case more costly.

 

[43095john]

x.com

x.com

Derailment at Cornbrook. No service Deansgate Castlefield - Old Trafford/Firswood/Wharfside/MediacityUK for rest of today

Below is a Picture from Twitter/X, appears the lead car of a Double Tram has come off at the points whilst exiting the Cornbrook Headshunt

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Does the Manchester Metrolink system have about the same percentages of various assorted mishaps as happen on the other modern tramway systems in England?

 

[edwin_m]

Does the Manchester Metrolink system have about the same percentages of various assorted mishaps as happen on the other modern tramway systems in England?

Bear in mind it's about three times the size of the next biggest tram network, so it's likely to have about three times the incidents, and as your're local you're more likely to hear about them than incidents on other networks.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Bear in mind it's about three times the size of the next biggest tram network, so it's likely to have about three times the incidents, and as your're local you're more likely to hear about them than incidents on other networks

That I am aware of and was the reason why I used the word "percentage" in my posting as I assumed people would realise that applied to the size of the fleet.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Just tried to ‘tap in’ for Metrolink (first journey of the day) and initially got a green tick but then a ‘Not authorised to travel’ red screen

To be safe I purchased a paper ticket with cash instead but I can already see on my bank app a £0.10 pending charge for Metrolink so a bit odd!

What are the likely consequences as to what they may end up charging if I just tapped in the once and not out anywhere?

I guess if the worst comes to the worst I’ll keep my paper ticket handy to email customer services…

Sounds like the card being read twice because you put it there for too long.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Those of you who keep praising the newer M5000s over the others, do any of you on the Altrincham line want to swap with me here on Eccles? I much prefer the older trams primarily because the only difference I can notice, is that they have two very spacious single seats, which are like gold dust to me. 3075 and upwards have a seat of three longitudinal/sideways seats in that space instead, and I almost exclusively get those trams.

The single seats are like gold dust to me. Not only are they in the middle of where two seats would be (so you get more arm room and you're not wedged against the window, so you have optimum tram comfort ), but they avoid situations like on Saturday morning, where a woman stinking of weed sat firmly next to me, leaned right over to me, and spent twenty minutes invading my personal space while telling me that James Arthur once loved her and that all of his songs are about her. I was too scared to move! They also have little almost tables, perfect for holding your morning Red Bull

So glad I'm not the only one who is also a huge fan of the single seats! So much so that at East Didsbury the other day I deliberately let two trams depart first in the hope that a lower numbered unit would turn up (and low and behold in comes in 3055!).

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

So glad I'm not the only one who is also a huge fan of the single seats! So much so that at East Didsbury the other day I deliberately let two trams depart first in the hope that a lower numbered unit would turn up (and low and behold in comes in 3055!).

Yes I let the higher numbered in front go too if I’m in for a long journey

 

[duffield]

I travelled from Piccadilly to Bury and back yesterday and was surprised to get direct trams, no change required, because when I'd looked the day before there were no direct services and you had to change at Victoria (or Crumpsall).

So the direct services yesterday were not normal, but a temporary consequence of the derailment?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I travelled from Piccadilly to Bury and back yesterday and was surprised to get direct trams, no change required, because when I'd looked the day before there were no direct services and you had to change at Victoria (or Crumpsall).

So the direct services yesterday were not normal, but a temporary consequence of the derailment?

They are normal when there's not engineering works (which there currently are between St Peters Square and Piccadilly Gardens), but yes, the derailment changed things.

Not sure what routes were being run yesterday as I wasn't paying attention to any of that.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I travelled from Piccadilly to Bury and back yesterday and was surprised to get direct trams, no change required, because when I'd looked the day before there were no direct services and you had to change at Victoria (or Crumpsall).

So the direct services yesterday were not normal, but a temporary consequence of the derailment?

Bury normally gets 5tph to Piccadilly via Market Street and 5tph to Altrincham via Market Street and Deansgate. Until Tuesday, all Bury services are temporarily all Altrincham via Exchange Square and Deansgate ones to maintain the service level on Altrincham (Metrolink’s busiest route) while a blockade prevents both Piccadilly Altrincham and Bury Altrincham via Market St from running.

However, Exchange Square and Deansgate ALSO became blocked yesterday by the derailment, so everything from Bury had to go to Piccadilly again, and Altrincham just had to cut its losses.


For clarity, the typical weekday Metrolink service pattern, during normal times (no engineering works or incident disruption) is:

5tph Bury Altrincham via Victoria, Market St and the Deansgate/Cornbrook core

5tph Bury Piccadilly via Victoria, Market St and Picc Gardens

5tph Rochdale East Didsbury via Shaw, Victoria, Exchange Sq, and the Deansgate/Cornbrook core

5tph Shaw East Didsbury via Victoria, Exchange Sq, and the Deansgate/Cornbrook core

5tph Victoria Manchester Airport via Market St and the Deansgate/Cornbrook core

5tph Ashton Eccles via Etihad, Piccadilly, Picc Gardens, and the Deansgate/Cornbrook core

5tph Etihad MediaCityUK (some run to Trafford Bar in the evenings) via Piccadilly, Picc Gardens, and the Deansgate/Cornbrook core

5tph Piccadilly Altrincham via Picc Gardens, and the Deansgate/Cornbrook core (Starts at Etihad during evening peak)

5tph Deansgate Trafford Centre via Cornbrook

 

[duffield]

Right, it all makes sense now. The derailment was unfortunate, but it worked out for me as it made my trip to the East Lancs Railway diesel gala more straightforward!

 

[plugwash]

Bury normally gets 5tph to Piccadilly via Market Street and 5tph to Altrincham via Market Street and Deansgate. Until Tuesday, all Bury services are temporarily all Altrincham via Exchange Square and Deansgate ones to maintain the service level on Altrincham (Metrolink’s busiest route) while a blockade prevents both Piccadilly Altrincham and Bury Altrincham via Market St from running.

What I don't get is why they are running all the altrincham trams through to Bury and terminating all the trams from Picadilly at Crumpsall. Rather than terminating some of the Altrincham trams at Crumpsall and running the Picadilly trams through to Bury.