Six kilometres of Metrolink track is being dug up and replaced in the biggest upgrade in the network’s history.
The £150m job by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) will make tram journeys smoother and reduce disruptions to services as they ferry passengers around the city-region.
It has meant the Eccles, Trafford Centre and Altrincham lines have had to close for three weeks until August 2 as part of the latest phase of works, causing major disruption to passengers who are making do with replacement buses.
Scope of the works
A previous phase saw tracks replaced between Rochdale and Victoria, where there were no trams running for a week.
Cornbrook station - one of the busiest in the world with a tram every 30 seconds - is one of the stops affected in the current phase of works.
One passenger affected by the disruption described the situation as ‘a bit of a nightmare’ last week after getting stuck on a bus in Manchester city centre for 45 minutes.
Behind the scenes
Walking along the tracks on the closed line from Trafford Bar, an enormous amount of materials and equipment are being hauled up and down the route by heavy machinery.
Logistics is one of the biggest challenges of the project to make sure there’s a constant flow of materials.
Large blocks of concrete that sit between the tracks called ‘sleepers’ are moved on wagons attached to vehicles which look similar to massive diggers.
The sleepers are then forensically placed along yellow lines spray painted on the ground marking the layout of the new route before the metal tracks are added in.
It’s no easy job - three sleepers together weigh up to a tonne - but luckily these days modern machinery does most of the heavy lifting.
Throughout the process, workers clad in fluorescent orange safety gear are making sure to check each block is in exactly the right place, making immediate adjustments to any that look even slightly off.
There are up to 40 people working shifts at any time both day and night to get the work done as soon as possible.
This particular section of the works near Trafford Bar will replace around 1.6km of track which is more than 30 years old and has come to the end of its lifespan.
Benefits for passengers
Transport bosses say that the repairs mean the tracks will not need replacing for another 30 years when the upgrades are finished in August.
Passengers should see direct benefits once the lines reopen.
In one section of track being replaced, trams were previously limited to speeds of 5mph, but this could go up to as much as 20mph once the new tracks are in, making it less likely that services will face delays.
The new tracks have a different design to the old ones, and this is expected to make tram journeys feel smoother for passengers than it was before.
Drainage is being replaced as well along the side of tracks to reduce the chances of flooding incidents in future.
It’s part of the Bee Network that most passengers will never see, but a huge operation is taking place to get the tracks changed as soon as possible and make the tram system the best it can be.
Further works are expected to take place around October while other sections of track are dug up and replaced, so the disruption is not over yet.
But once done it is expected that people using Metrolink services will enjoy the benefits for years to come.
Manchester's Metrolink network opened in 1992 and has 93 stops on seven lines across Greater Manchester.
Ian Davies, network director for Metrolink at TfGM, said: “The work at Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield is taking place on one of the busiest stretches of tram track in the country. Some sections are more than 30 years old, with 40-tonne trams running every 30 seconds at peak times - that level wear and tear takes its toll, which is why this work is so important.
“It’s one of the most complex parts of the network to access, requiring a carefully planned approach to carry out the work safely and efficiently. These upgrades will also help us reduce journey times and make services more reliable for passengers.
“At the same time, we’re taking the opportunity to service our trams, helping to improve reliability when services resume. We’re also replacing lifts at a number of stops to provide more dependable step-free access.
“We’re sorry for the disruption. We know it can be annoying, and while these essential upgrades take place we will do everything we can to keep people moving.”
