Three Metrolink lines will close for a fortnight from tomorrow (Monday) for engineering works on one of the busiest stretches of tram line in Europe. Deansgate-Castlefield, Cornbrook and Trafford Bar stations will shut until Monday, November 2, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has said.
The two-week closure will mean there will be no trams running on the Altrincham, Trafford Centre and Eccles lines. Meanwhile the station closures will also mean services to East Didsbury and Manchester Airport will end at Firswood, while the Rochdale line will stop at Exchange Square.
One of Europe's busiest stretches
The impacted stretch is 'one of the busiest in Europe' with trams passing through every 30 seconds for 20 hours a day, seven days a week. TfGM said the work will allow further speed restrictions along the line to be lifted, making journeys 'quicker and more reliable'.
Match-going United and City fans are also being warned the closures could affect them. City are due to host AEK Athens in the Champions League on Tuesday, Brighton in the Carabao Cup on October 28, and the same opponents in the Premier League on October 31. Meanwhile, United will take on Bournemouth at Old Trafford on October 25 in the Premier League.
Final major upgrade this year
The works will see around 4km of track replaced as part of a wider £150m project. This will be the 'final major tram track upgrade' this year, TfGM has promised. But a weekend closure with the same restrictions will be needed at Trafford Bar and Deansgate Castlefield on the weekend of November 14 and 15 for follow-up work.
Over the summer the same stretch of track closed for three weeks, causing chaos for commuters. Bus replacement services were in place, but passengers complained some journeys were taking up to two-and-half hours.
Bus changes to avoid repeat problems
This time around buses won't stop at more than a dozen stations across the three lines. Transport buses say this is to try to avoid a repeat of the problems during the last closure. The omitted stations are served by buses on the regular timetable, they said.
Speaking last month TfGM's network director for Metrolink, Ian Davies, said: "We're carrying out this work to make sure Metrolink remains safe, reliable and fit for the future, but we recognise that they'll cause disruption for many people. We're sorry about that and are doing everything we can to ensure you can still get where you need to go."
"One of the things we've done since the summer closure is listen carefully to the feedback people gave us. Customers told us they wanted clearer information, faster replacement journeys and more travel options, and we've used that feedback to shape our plans for this autumn."
"There is never a perfect time to undertake major engineering work on one of the busiest light rail corridors in Europe, but these improvements are essential if we are to continue delivering the reliable public transport network that Greater Manchester needs."
