Manchester Metrolink

[Class 466]

I notice on the Christmas and New Year alterations page - https://tfgm.com/winter-travel/christmas-operating-times that they mention a revised Metrolink Timetable for 2024. Wonder if they’re finally going to make use of the third platform at Crumpsall.

 

[ic31420]

I notice on the Christmas and New Year alterations page - https://tfgm.com/winter-travel/christmas-operating-times that they mention a revised Metrolink Timetable for 2024. Wonder if they’re finally going to make use of the third platform at Crumpsall.

Perhaps they're just going to recast the timetable to account for the TSRs.

The Bury line seems a real stagger at the moment not helped by the new ungated level crossing and speed restriction.

How Long is Bury to Victoria Supposed to take?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

How Long is Bury to Victoria Supposed to take?

By Metrolink, should be 29-30 minutes.

 

[MSO69]

The revised timetable probably means the Trafford centre- crumpsall service being introduced as comfirmed by an actual metrolink driver earlier on in this thread, he mentioned early 2024 and the new timetable is being introduced on 19th jan

 

[Class 466]

Perhaps they're just going to recast the timetable to account for the TSRs.

The Bury line seems a real stagger at the moment not helped by the new ungated level crossing and speed restriction.

How Long is Bury to Victoria Supposed to take?

The sheer number of 5mph TSRs between Deansgate & Market Street isn’t helping reliability at all with the Altrincham & Piccadilly to Bury trams often right on top of eachother rather than 6 minutes apart

 

[Tim33160]

I note the trams are only running every 15 minutes across the Christmas / New Year festive period rather than the usual every 12 mins.
No "peak" services (Altrincham - Bury direct, East Didsbury - Shaw, Etihad - Media City) either.
So basically a Sunday service everyday with earlier (0600) starts, and additional double trams at busy periods
https://tfgm.com/winter-travel/christmas-operating-times click on tram dropdown

 

[AlastairFraser]

For anyone in Manchester City centre this evening, please note Metrolink is distrupted in the City Zone. Outside should be OK, but scaffolding has collided with the overhead wires at Market St stop. This also means the section of Market St connecting Picc Gardens and Market St/High St has been cordoned off by the fire and rescue services.

 

[507 001]

The revised timetable probably means the Trafford centre- crumpsall service being introduced as comfirmed by an actual metrolink driver earlier on in this thread, he mentioned early 2024 and the new timetable is being introduced on 19th jan

Not yet…

 

[WatcherZero]

For anyone in Manchester City centre this evening, please note Metrolink is distrupted in the City Zone. Outside should be OK, but scaffolding has collided with the overhead wires at Market St stop. This also means the section of Market St connecting Picc Gardens and Market St/High St has been cordoned off by the fire and rescue services.

And the heavy rail OHL at Piccadilly decided to go bang as well, pretty bad storm tonight.

 

[AlastairFraser]

And the heavy rail OHL at Piccadilly decided to go bang as well, pretty bad storm tonight.

Created a thread about that earlier!

 

[MSO69]

Not yet…

Does anyone have an idea what the new timetable is then, is it a new frequency pattern sort of thing, a mix up of lines going to different destinations or something else

 

[507 001]

Does anyone have an idea what the new timetable is then, is it a new frequency pattern sort of thing, a mix up of lines going to different destinations or something else

It’s just a new timetable. It’s something that happens fairly regularly and allows us to tweak timings etc.

The only big change is that the Alt-Picc service becomes Alt-Etihad after the evening peak for the new arena.

 

[Class 466]

It’s just a new timetable. It’s something that happens fairly regularly and allows us to tweak timings etc.

The only big change is that the Alt-Picc service becomes Alt-Etihad after the evening peak for the new arena.

I dream of the day that some of the Bury - Piccadillys go back to being doubles as per pre-covid. Most are full to the brim leaving Besses o th Barn heading into town now in the peaks.

 

[507 001]

I dream of the day that some of the Bury - Piccadillys go back to being doubles as per pre-covid. Most are full to the brim leaving Besses o th Barn heading into town now in the peaks.

That’s entirely dependent on the new substation at Heaton park.

 

[Class 466]

That’s entirely dependent on the new substation at Heaton park.

Interesting, especially given a 6 minute all double service is provided between Bury & Victoria for Parklife.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Interesting, especially given a 6 minute all double service is provided between Bury & Victoria for Parklife.

Can they increase it just for those 2 days then?

 

[507 001]

Interesting, especially given a 6 minute all double service is provided between Bury & Victoria for Parklife.

With everything running in limited power mode*…



*which the M5000s absolutely don’t like doing long term.

 

[Tim33160]

Revised tram services from 2 January 2024 https://tfgm.com/tram-improvement-works/january-service-changes

More frequent and extended Metrolink services, as well as the continued running of late-night trams, are being introduced in the New Year to meet increased demand.

Altrincham to Piccadilly services​

Altrincham to Piccadilly services will extend to Etihad Campus at the following times:

• After the end of MediaCityUK-Etihad Campus peak service (from 8pm, Monday to Friday and from 6.30pm on Saturdays) until the end of service
• All-day on Sundays

This means there will be a six-minute service between Etihad Campus and the city centre from 7am until the end of service.

Late-night Friday and Saturday services​

There will continue to be a 24-minute frequency service after midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. This will be in place until around 1am, with double units on a number of services.

Double trams between Altrincham and Bury​

We're increasing capacity on Altrincham and Bury services.
Instead of double trams operating on the Altrincham-Bury services they will run on Altrincham-Piccadilly/Etihad Campus and Bury-Piccadilly services.
Monday to Saturday
Double units will operate from the start of service on the Bury-Piccadilly and Altrincham-Piccadilly lines. After 6.30pm there will be double units on Altrincham-Etihad Campus services.
Sunday
Services will be a mixture of single and doubles (with the majority doubles) between Altrincham-Etihad Campus and Bury-Piccadilly.

These changes to enable provision for events at the new Co-op Live Arena near to the Etihad stadium https://www.cooplive.com/pQDzS5/the-arena/the-arena

 

[Class 466]

Revised tram services from 2 January 2024 https://tfgm.com/tram-improvement-works/january-service-changes

More frequent and extended Metrolink services, as well as the continued running of late-night trams, are being introduced in the New Year to meet increased demand.

Altrincham to Piccadilly services​

Altrincham to Piccadilly services will extend to Etihad Campus at the following times:

• After the end of MediaCityUK-Etihad Campus peak service (from 8pm, Monday to Friday and from 6.30pm on Saturdays) until the end of service
• All-day on Sundays

This means there will be a six-minute service between Etihad Campus and the city centre from 7am until the end of service.

Late-night Friday and Saturday services​

There will continue to be a 24-minute frequency service after midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. This will be in place until around 1am, with double units on a number of services.

Double trams between Altrincham and Bury​

We're increasing capacity on Altrincham and Bury services.
Instead of double trams operating on the Altrincham-Bury services they will run on Altrincham-Piccadilly/Etihad Campus and Bury-Piccadilly services.
Monday to Saturday
Double units will operate from the start of service on the Bury-Piccadilly and Altrincham-Piccadilly lines. After 6.30pm there will be double units on Altrincham-Etihad Campus services.
Sunday
Services will be a mixture of single and doubles (with the majority doubles) between Altrincham-Etihad Campus and Bury-Piccadilly.

These changes to enable provision for events at the new Co-op Live Arena near to the Etihad stadium https://www.cooplive.com/pQDzS5/the-arena/the-arena

Ah yes, those busy cross city Bury - Altrincham services having their formations cut in half - well done TFGM or whatever it's called now

 

[Jamesrob637]

Really don't know why some trams weren't double-length anyway (with artic sections for the curves, as in Budapest and Bruxelles among others). Mind you, as with trains, the possibility of still running a single rather than having a cancellation is greater in case of a last-minute fault on one unit.

 

[Danfilm007]

Really don't know why some trams weren't double-length anyway (with artic sections for the curves, as in Budapest and Bruxelles among others). Mind you, as with trains, the possibility of still running a single rather than having a cancellation is greater in case of a last-minute fault on one unit.

You'd hope a perma-length double unit would increase standing and seating capacity and make the vehicles lighter, but until tram-trains appear I suppose it won't happen. The M5000s are getting a little rusty in places...

 

[Class 466]

You'd hope a perma-length double unit would increase standing and seating capacity and make the vehicles lighter, but until tram-trains appear I suppose it won't happen. The M5000s are getting a little rusty in places...

Some of the earlier M5000s look pretty atrocious externally - not sure how many vinyl spots 3001 actually has left on it. Definitely all in need of a refresh/refurb!

 

[py_megapixel]

Some of the earlier M5000s look pretty atrocious externally - not sure how many vinyl spots 3001 actually has left on it. Definitely all in need of a refresh/refurb!

I assume the whole fleet will get the Bee Network livery (as on the buses) eventually, which would explain why they are holding off re-painting/vinyling them as it stands

 

[Danfilm007]

I assume the whole fleet will get the Bee Network livery (as on the buses) eventually, which would explain why they are holding off re-painting/vinyling them as it stands

Yes they will be - part of the TFGM new identity they'll become all-over yellow.

 

[507 001]

Yes they will be - part of the TFGM new identity they'll become all-over yellow.

Apparently not…

There’s a very strong rumour that only one or two will make it into the new overall yellow. There’s certainly no rush to get them repainted.

—————————————————————
I suspect the directs will eventually return to double unit operation once the new substation at Heaton Park becomes operational. They’ll certainly struggle as single units during evening peak, they always used to when we would switch the doubles onto Alt Picc for football.

 

[Class 466]

Apparently not…

There’s a very strong rumour that only one or two will make it into the new overall yellow. There’s certainly no rush to get them repainted.

—————————————————————
I suspect the directs will eventually return to double unit operation once the new substation at Heaton Park becomes operational. They’ll certainly struggle as single units during evening peak, they always used to when we would switch the doubles onto Alt Picc for football.

One benefit (at a guess) is that it probably reduces the overall number of diagrams that have to be 3001-3060 seen as Bury to Piccadilly can be operated by any of the 147 trams… whereas anything to Altrincham lacks such flexibility.

 

[Magicake]

Apparently not…

There’s a very strong rumour that only one or two will make it into the new overall yellow. There’s certainly no rush to get them repainted.

—————————————————————
I suspect the directs will eventually return to double unit operation once the new substation at Heaton Park becomes operational. They’ll certainly struggle as single units during evening peak, they always used to when we would switch the doubles onto Alt Picc for football.

My understanding is the new substation is a way off still. I know some work was carried out but seems to have fairly ground to a halt and not restarting imminently?

 

[Andyh82]

I assume the whole fleet will get the Bee Network livery (as on the buses) eventually, which would explain why they are holding off re-painting/vinyling them as it stands

Anyone know if referring to the trams as “Metrolink” is continuing or will it ultimately just become “Bee Network trams”

 

[Tramfan]

One benefit (at a guess) is that it probably reduces the overall number of diagrams that have to be 3001-3060 seen as Bury to Piccadilly can be operated by any of the 147 trams… whereas anything to Altrincham lacks such flexibility.

Some of 3001-3060 have lost the equipment needed to run to Altrincham as well, so there's even less flexibility. I think it was 3025 I noticed with something in the cab that said it was a non-ATS tram when I was last there.

 

[WatcherZero]

Anyone know if referring to the trams as “Metrolink” is continuing or will it ultimately just become “Bee Network trams”

Metrolink at least until the bus rollout is complete and then they may think about refreshing the branding.