Why does anything need to be done with it at all? It must be able to just be left unused, even if the stadium is completely rebuilt on top of it. Passengers can use several stops on the Metrolink anyway. I noticed that Weymouth Quay station is still technically open despite the track to it having been ripped up!
One of the options they are allegedly looking at would see the demolition of the existing stadium and its relocation further away from the tracks.
Given they're proposing 80,000+ there is no location they could move the ground to that would be far enough away to handle the crowd yet close enough to be a viable option for fans.
How much land do you need to handle the % of fans that might arrive or wish to depart by train?
www.redcafe.net
The issue with using the station for matchday traffic is that the crowd must be able to be safely managed whilst waiting for the train. The capacity of MUFC halt is unlikely to be beyond one train every 10 minutes, and that train's length is limited to the platform length, which is also constrains to maybe 8-Cars at best between the freight terminal and the bridge. With crowds of 75,000-85,000, this limited capacity is going to be a serious constraint. If the stadium was moved wholesale onto one of the car parks, then a queuing area could be created but that would mean a reduction in Parking capacity.
If the modes were actually integrated, like in better practice countries - Cornbrook would be a hugely important interchange. Arguably important enough to turn additional shuttle trams at, for frequencies.
So that could allow for expansion of the station to allow for a more suitable platform.
Why should Metrolink be made to take all the strain? With United apparently owning land on the north bank of the Bridgewater canal, you could build the new stadium over the sites of the car park with the un-nameable sponsors logo painted on it, The Stretford End and over the Bridgewater where the AKW warehouse is. The station can the be basically infinitely expanded, possibly even with 2 platforms, should that be required.
That's irrespective. It's about the capacity that can be taken. If we want people out of their cars, we need to encourage them to get there by all means available and if we force everyone who drives to matchdays onto the trams, good bloody luck using the system on matchdays.
I'd say the 5 large car parks and what's been said on the forum that @SJL2020 linked to is proof enough that a large number of fans will use a car to get to the stadium. And that's ignoring people who park a short distance away and then walk.
I think there are tons and tons of possibilities and combinations. Alty/Chorlton/Quays to Warrington/Liverpool flows - but then I'm really thinking of it as a CLC Met place.
Well of course the EMUs would be used mostly for rail flows from Piccadilly, with some smaller flows from Crewe & Stoke and stations in between. However, it would be better to keep those flows on trains than to move them onto the trams and clog those up.
Other places have managed similar though. Even in Manchester itself doesn't the Arena partly go over the top of some of the lines going into Victoria station?
Could they not already use some of the car parking space to the East / West of the stand? Google maps seems to suggest there is enough room (comparing with my nearest reference point of the queuing systems used outside Cardiff Central station on a matchday there). And I'd say the reduction of the parking capacity isn't a bad thing if we are to be encouraging people to use public transport instead of driving!
