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I suppose part of that comes from the fact that these stations still retain quite a bit from their pre-metrolink forms, but I do agree that they sometimes look a bit scruffy.
Doesn’t help that they’re constantly vandalised by ferril children aswell. Same goes for any other line that isn’t the eccles, Trafford centre or Manchester airport lines
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Doesn’t help that they’re constantly vandalised by ferril children aswell. Same goes for any other line that isn’t the eccles, Trafford centre or Manchester airport lines
Regarding PIDs there's one on the Piccadilly bound platform at Piccadilly Gardens which eventually needs replacing as it keeps having various faults with it including the way it displays the next tram information.
As for the stops themselves why some of the shelters can't be replaced due to the state their in I'm not to sure unless cost is a problem, also there's a few stops on the network whereby the stop name board needs replacing as its either faded or become unreadable as some of the letters are missing.
Regarding PIDs there's one on the Piccadilly bound platform at Piccadilly Gardens which eventually needs replacing as it keeps having various faults with it including the way it displays the next tram information.
As for the stops themselves why some of the shelters can't be replaced due to the state their in I'm not to sure unless cost is a problem, also there's a few stops on the network whereby the stop name board needs replacing as its either faded or become unreadable as some of the letters are missing.
You’ll see that at lots of stops (shudehill, Bury, Radcliffe, Abraham Moss etc) have all had vinyl wraps placed over the faded/missing lettered signage
Regarding PIDs there's one on the Piccadilly bound platform at Piccadilly Gardens which eventually needs replacing as it keeps having various faults with it including the way it displays the next tram information.
I can't helping thing that while the Bee Network buses are useful, it is trams that actually get people out of their cars and I think it is important that the Metrolink doesn't get neglected. Some of the stops are falling to pieces and it seems there is a desperate need for additional new trams. I am not sure what they could buy though now the M5000 production line has ended. As time goes by we will only end up with less and less working trams due to accidents and more trams requiring major work due to their age.
I am noticing that I am having to stand more and more often on the East Didsbury line
It's been said on here before, but the external appearance of the trams are in need of some TLC, I was in Manchester on Saturday and noticed what a state a lot of them were in.
The Tyne and Wear Metro have had to come up with the answer to their aging fleet problem. Trouble is, the seemingly never-ending Governmental finance flow in to Greater Manchester will not go on for ever and a day.
The Tyne and Wear Metro have had to come up with the answer to their aging fleet problem. Trouble is, the seemingly never-ending Governmental finance flow in to Greater Manchester will not go on for ever and a day.
Indeed so, but was it not the case in the final time period of the last Conservative Government, Greater Manchester was the beneficiary of extremely large funding from them, much to the surprise of many people.
The last time we ordered, the magic number was 26, so we ordered 27. I would imagine given Alstom have moved on to the HF6 the magic number would be considerably higher than 26....
The last time we ordered, the magic number was 26, so we ordered 27. I would imagine given Alstom have moved on to the HF6 the magic number would be considerably higher than 26....
Are there any particular places in the centre of Manchester where a 4-car set can cause traffic problems to other road users at road junctions if a similar 4-car set precedes them?
Possibly. That pretty much depends on tram-train though. There is a growing opinion amongst staff that the M5000s aren't particularly suited to Metrolink. They're too light for starters... kind to the track (ish) but can only be described as lively at speed.
It's actually considerably more than 4-5 meters. You'd lose both cabs plus the couplers, the draw bars of which are quite long on an M5000 for obvious reasons. You could actually insert a whole extra section and still stay within current platform lengths.
Possibly. That pretty much depends on tram-train though. There is a growing opinion amongst staff that the M5000s aren't particularly suited to Metrolink. They're too light for starters... kind to the track (ish) but can only be described as lively at speed.
It's actually considerably more than 4-5 meters. You'd lose both cabs plus the couplers, the draw bars of which are quite long on an M5000 for obvious reasons. You could actually insert a whole extra section and still stay within current platform lengths.
I'd say there were no routes on the line with low enough patronage to not benefit from 4 car operation now, would you agree?
I do like the M5000s a lot, but I do think they need the modern TV style PIS screens as on the buses, the very poor Carla Taylor announcements replaced (I have offered my voice over services to the CEO, as I've done it for Northern before they went in house), and they need to supplemented with additional trams so that they can be more regularly coupled. I'd also like to see the interior green and exterior orange LEDs replaced with white ones, and the exterior re-vinyled to match the buses.
There isn't a simple answer to that question really. Eccles probably doesn't justify doubles, nor does Ashton. TPL definitely doesn't (other than football days and a few services in the evening rush hour). Rochdale definitely doesn't beyond Shaw (again though, rush hour services do to an extent.
There isn't a simple answer to that question really. Eccles probably doesn't justify doubles, nor does Ashton. TPL definitely doesn't (other than football days and a few services in the evening rush hour). Rochdale definitely doesn't beyond Shaw (again though, rush hour services do to an extent.
Single Eccles services are absolutely packed in the morning and evening, and again that's probably down to the 12 minute frequency. I agree with TPL on weekdays.
Single Eccles services are absolutely packed in the morning and evening, and again that's probably down to the 12 minute frequency. I agree with TPL on weekdays.
Outside of the peak service they absolutely aren't packed, especially beyond Media and even on concert nights. It's one of the most peak orientated lines we have.
But I don't see Metrolink coupling and decoupling during the day, so all the while it's inefficient to do that then any two cars they put on the circuit rock up full and standing at St Peter's Square at 5pm, and it's a twelve minute wait for the next which is the same.
I'd say there were no routes on the line with low enough patronage to not benefit from 4 car operation now, would you agree?
I do like the M5000s a lot, but I do think they need the modern TV style PIS screens as on the buses, the very poor Carla Taylor announcements replaced (I have offered my voice over services to the CEO, as I've done it for Northern before they went in house), and they need to supplemented with additional trams so that they can be more regularly coupled. I'd also like to see the interior green and exterior orange LEDs replaced with white ones, and the exterior re-vinyled to match the buses.
I don’t see how there is anything wrong with the current system in place on the M5000s. For a start, white LEDs are no different nor beneficial to the customer compared to the Orange ones we have now. Secondly, the green LED next stop displays on the trams have nothing wrong with them, they display next stop & service destination which does the job, the metrolink is very accessible. Thirdly, how are the current ‘Carla Taylor’ announcements in any way poor? They tell you exactly where the service will terminate (AND VIA POINTS TOO!), they tell you the next stop and approaching announcements highlighting which stops you can change for other service to get to your destination + local bus/national rail announcements/termination announcements. The metrolink couldn’t be any easier to navigate/use and I personally don’t see the issue with the current system, yes things will evolve in the future but for now it does the job it needs to do. The only thing I will say is that possibly the Next stop displays should display what the announcements is saying for example, when approaching Cornbrook, the display should say “where you can change for services to XYZ” in a scrolling fashion. Other than that obviously in my opinion it does the job fine and there is a saying, if it isn’t broken don’t fix it.
how are the current ‘Carla Taylor’ announcements in any way poor? They tell you exactly where the service will terminate (AND VIA POINTS TOO!), they tell you the next stop and approaching announcements highlighting which stops you can change for other service to get to your destination + local bus/national rail announcements/termination announcements.
Darling, have you been on the Trafford Park line, she sounds like she’s on her death bed with every announcement recorded for that branch! “Ashton via Piccadilly” she also stumbles on the Piccadilly, along with multiple other poor recordings where she mutters as if she can’t be bothered. It sounds unprofessional and is easily drowned out in background noise.
There’s no “This is X” announcement and “We are now approaching” announcements only exist for interchanges.
But I don't see Metrolink coupling and decoupling during the day, so all the while it's inefficient to do that then any two cars they put on the circuit rock up full and standing at St Peter's Square at 5pm, and it's a twelve minute wait for the next which is the same.
Darling, have you been on the Trafford Park line, she sounds like she’s on her death bed with every announcement recorded for that branch! “Ashton via Piccadilly” she also stumbles on, along with multiple other poor recordings where she mutters as if she can’t be bothered. It sounds unprofessional and is easily drowned out in background noise.
There’s no “This is X” announcement and “We are now approaching” announcements only exist for interchanges.
She doesn't sound that bad, but obviously the recordings for these services were done at a different time with different recording equipment so of course she sounds different.
I'd argue that you don't need either of those announcements, given the frequency of station stops on some lines she'd never stop talking. Oh and by the way, there are 'this is X' announcements for terminus stations, they just don't get heard very often (outside places like Piccadilly and Etihad campus because policy is to update the destination blinds at the penultimate station.
Also, white destination blinds would be a no-no as you can't display white on the rear...
Darling, have you been on the Trafford Park line, she sounds like she’s on her death bed with every announcement recorded for that branch! “Ashton via Piccadilly” she also stumbles on, along with multiple other poor recordings where she mutters as if she can’t be bothered. It sounds unprofessional and is easily drowned out in background noise.
There’s no “This is X” announcement and “We are now approaching” announcements only exist for interchanges.
This is where you are actually wrong.
I never previously stated that they ever did use “this is X announcements” For every terminus there is a “this is X” announcement, we are now approaching announcements are for interchanges + any station which may have a rail, free bus/bus link. For some reason on the announcement files, random stops have “we are now approaching” announcements.
Yes I’ve heard the Trafford park line announcements, yes they are dull but these announcements were not recorded at the same time as all the other ones. Soon after she re-recorded “The Trafford Centre” announcements as opposed to “intu Trafford Centre announcements in 2021, she left Metrolink for a new life in Greece so if the announcements are ever re-recorded for whatever reason, it won’t be a her voice anymore. “Ashton via Piccadilly” was re-recorded in 2018 for whatever reason, so that’s why it sounds different, same with altrincham, alt via market street etc.
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This is exactly why it's a complicated answer. It's too busy during the rush hours but not busy enough at other times.
M5000s don't like being coupled and uncoupled with any great frequency, plus it's quite a slow operation so it is avoided.
She doesn't sound that bad, but obviously the recordings for these services were done at a different time with different recording equipment so of course she sounds different.
I'd argue that you don't need either of those announcements, given the frequency of station stops on some lines she'd never stop talking. Oh and by the way, there are 'this is X' announcements for terminus stations, they just don't get heard very often (outside places like Piccadilly and Etihad campus because policy is to update the destination blinds at the penultimate station.
Also, white destination blinds would be a no-no as you can't display white on the rear...
This is exactly why it's a complicated answer. It's too busy during the rush hours but not busy enough at other times.
M5000s don't like being coupled and uncoupled with any great frequency, plus it's quite a slow operation so it is avoided.
She doesn't sound that bad, but obviously the recordings for these services were done at a different time with different recording equipment so of course she sounds different.
I'd argue that you don't need either of those announcements, given the frequency of station stops on some lines she'd never stop talking. Oh and by the way, there are 'this is X' announcements for terminus stations, they just don't get heard very often (outside places like Piccadilly and Etihad campus because policy is to update the destination blinds at the penultimate station.
Also, white destination blinds would be a no-no as you can't display white on the rear...
Ah, that's fair enough. It's just a shame as I've noticed how much smarter the buses look with white than with orange, and I feel as though the trams would also. It's all trivial cosmetic ideas of course, same with the interior PIS colour. They're both fine as they are.
Coming from a daily user of the Altrincham/ Airport lines perspective the idea of a full length tram that utilities the middle section for additional space, that would mean morning and evening peak trams would have more than enough room, and maybe even future proofing them.
However my partner lives in Bern and from her perspective she finds it utterly incomprehensible that we sometimes run single trams during peak hours. Another thing she finds confusing when I'm not around to help her is the line names. I've had this conversation with her and she's sure that for visitors line numbers will be a definite help, and the locals would come to embrace it eventually.
One more thing, I have noticed even further reduction of speeds, not so much inbound but on the outbound between Deansgate and Cornbrook, OT and Stretford, and Brooklands and Timperley. Are these long term engineering related TSRs or ESRs waiting for attention? Or whatever the Metrolink equivalent of these terms are
I've had this conversation with her and she's sure that for visitors line numbers will be a definite help, and the locals would come to embrace it eventually.
One more thing, I have noticed even further reduction of speeds, not so much inbound but on the outbound between Deansgate and Cornbrook, OT and Stretford, and Brooklands and Timperley. Are these long term engineering related TSRs or ESRs waiting for attention? Or whatever the Metrolink equivalent of these terms are
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