Commuters in Manchester have described their 'nightmare' journeys as major disruption continues on the Metrolink this week. Passengers who would usually use trams in the city centre and beyond said they have faced 'chaos' on the replacement bus service during the first few days of major works on the tram network. The disruption first started on Monday (July 13) amid 'vital' engineering work on the tram network.
Biggest track upgrade to date
Over the next three weeks, improvement works, which Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said are part of the biggest track upgrade to date, will take place on the Deansgate-Castlefield and Trafford Bar tram stops, with additional work taking place across the city centre and along the Eccles line at the same time. As a result, no trams will operate on the Eccles, Trafford Centre and Altrincham lines. The Metrolink works will also see the East Didsbury and Airport lines terminate at Firswood.
Commuters face delays and overcrowding
Amid the disruption, one of our reporters at the Manchester Evening News said she was stuck on a bus in Manchester city centre for 45 minutes on Wednesday. "It turned into a bit of a nightmare," she said. "I was just stuck on the bus for 45 minutes. I realised in that time the bus had travelled the distance between Piccadilly Gardens and Manchester and Central. Is this going to be the standard rush-hour experience or was I just unlucky?"
People also left comments on the M.E.N. Facebook describing their journeys on replacement buses. Tracie wrote: "Absolute chaos! It took my son two and a half hours yesterday and longer today to get to work in Salford Quays. The commute home was a joke too. I understand the need for essential maintenance, fair enough but put on enough services to accommodate the huge amount of people who commute everyday using the trams. Common sense tells you one bus is not equivalent to one tram in rush hour! Absolutely infuriating and it’s only day two! Over two more weeks of this."
Stephen wrote: "Yesterday afternoon coming home from the city centre was an absolute shambles! Waited almost 50 minutes for an Eccles replacement bus! The bus stops were all massively over crowded and the busses that did turn up didn’t state which route they were for so everyone is just swarming them as soon as they pull up - chaos!"
Mehdi Salah commented: "2 hours and 30 minutes from the Trafford Centre to Sale. I can walk in half the time... I've learnt my lesson."
Operational issues and road closures
In some responses to messages about delays on X, the Bee Network said that buses had been ‘severely delayed’ on Wednesday and that there had been a combination of ‘operational issues and road closures’ that were causing an impact on services. TfGM said that alongside the replacement buses there are a number of alternatives in place for those who would normally take the tram during this time. These options include using the Bee Network app to help find alternative options, getting on a Bee Network bus, getting a train or considering cycling or walking.
Bar owners affected by Metrolink closure
Bar owners have also bemoaned the Metrolink closure, saying they were only informed of it weeks beforehand. Charlotte Heyes, the co-owner of popular pizza spot Nell’s, claims she first found out about the set of works in the middle of June - and said the line closures will have a major impact on the Nell’s venues in the city centre, MediaCity, and the Northern Quarter. "I think it will most affect us at MediaCity because it’s right by the tram stop there and people will get off and head to us," Charlotte told the Manchester Evening News. "We don’t have that now for the next three weeks. I think it could have a real impact on the area - we've had to adjust our forecasts lower as a result."
TfGM apologizes and urges patience
In a statement, TfGM's Chief Network Officer, Danny Vaughan, said: “This is the biggest track upgrade project we’ve done for years on the busiest part of the network. We know it’s disruptive - we’re sorry and thank everyone for their patience while we get on with this essential job. In many cases, it may be easier, cheaper or quicker for people to jump on a regular Bee Network bus – with many frequent buses serving communities along the tram routes. Replacement buses can never match the frequency, capacity and speed of the trams, and we’re aware there’s been some gaps in service. But on the whole, there’s regular replacement buses covering the tram routes and stopping at each station. We’re working with bus operators to bring even more vehicles into Greater Manchester to strengthen the replacement service over the coming days. We encourage people to plan ahead and leave more time for their journey if they can.”
