NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Manchester Metrolink

Manchester Metrolink is a light-rail tramway in Greater Manchester, in England, centred on Manchester city centre. Image File history File links Metrolink_2000_logo. ... Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England which roughly encompasses the conurbation surrounding the City of Manchester, and has a population of 2. ... Manchester is a major city in North West England and the centre of the Greater Manchester conurbation. ... Salford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. ... A metropolitan borough (or metropolitan district) is a type of local government district in England, covering urban areas within metropolitan counties. ... The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. ... Statistics Population: 60,718 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SD805105 Administration Metropolitan borough: Bury Metropolitan county: Greater Manchester Region: North West England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Greater Manchester Historic county: Lancashire Services Police force: Greater Manchester Police Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: North West... Skytrain Bangkok. ... Serco Group plc is an international company with several branches. ... A Manchester Metrolink tram, seen here in central Manchester. ... A Manchester Metrolink tram, seen here in central Manchester. ... A tram of the Luas system in Dublin, Ireland Shanghai Metro transit station, China A METRORail train approaching Preston Station in downtown Houston, Texas, USA. The Guadalajara urban L-train system (SITEUR), at first a trolleybus system, opened in 1980; the second line was opened in 1994, and a third... A CLRV Streetcar in the City of Toronto. ... Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England which roughly encompasses the conurbation surrounding the City of Manchester, and has a population of 2. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification - by Athelstan AD 927 Area - Total 130,395 kmÂ² (1st in UK) 50,346 sq mi Population - 2006 est. ... Manchester is a major city in North West England and the centre of the Greater Manchester conurbation. ... City of Manchester. ...

Metrolink is operated by Altram (Manchester) Limited, owned by Serco, on behalf of the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, which owns the system and is also a shareholder of Altram. In 2007 the network will be operated by a new operator, as Serco has not made it to the final two bidders when the contact is re-tendered. Serco Group plc is an international company with several branches. ... The Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) is the public body (Passenger Transport Executive) responsible for co-ordinating public transport services thoughout Greater Manchester in England. ... Serco Group plc is an international company with several branches. ...

The Metrolink network is approximately 37 km long, with 37 stops. Mosley Street stop in the city centre serves only trams travelling westward. Because much of the route of Metrolink was formerly main-line railway with platforms about 900 mm above ground level, the new stops in the city centre also have 900 mm-high platforms. A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. ...

Construction history

For many years there had been plans to connect Manchester's two main railway stations, Piccadilly station to the south-east of the city centre, and Victoria station to the north. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there were plans for a Picc-Vic tunnel to carry main-line trains, but the proposal was abandoned because of excessive cost. By the late 1980s, the power equipment on the electrified suburban railway line from Victoria to Bury, which had a unique-in-Britain side-contact third-rail power supply, was in need of replacement, and it was decided, rather than replace the equipment on a like-for-like basis, to construct a light rail system that would connect the Victoria–Bury line via on-street lines with the line to Altrincham, south-west of the city, and in the city centre to Piccadilly station. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1000x623, 264 KB)The Manchester Metrolink station at Sale on the Manchester to Altrincham line. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1000x623, 264 KB)The Manchester Metrolink station at Sale on the Manchester to Altrincham line. ... Sale, in the traditional County of Cheshire, is a town in the Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey, southwest of the city of Manchester, between Stretford and Altrincham. ... Passengers bustle around the typical grand edifice of Londons Broad Street Station in 1865. ... Interior shot of the station with the Victorian trainshed. ... Manchester Victoria Manchester Victoria railway station is the second of Manchesters mainline railway stations, now being much less important than Manchester Piccadilly station. ... Picc-Vic was the name given to a proposal to connect two major mainline railway terminals in central Manchester, England, in the early 1970s. ... Statistics Population: 60,718 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SD805105 Administration Metropolitan borough: Bury Metropolitan county: Greater Manchester Region: North West England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Greater Manchester Historic county: Lancashire Services Police force: Greater Manchester Police Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: North West... Third rail at the West Falls Church Metro stop in the Washington, D.C. area, electrified to 750 volts. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Authority to construct Phase I of Metrolink (Bury to Altrincham via city centre, with a spur to Piccadilly station) was granted in January 1988, with construction of the on-street section beginning in March 1990. Metrolink opened between Bury and Victoria on 6 April 1992, through the city centre between Victoria and G-Mex (the former Manchester Central railway station, now an exhibition centre) on 27 April 1992, and between G-Mex and Altrincham on 15 June 1992. The system was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 17 July 1992, and trams started operating into Piccadilly station on 20 July 1992, completing Phase I of the system. April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

On 25 April 1997 work began on Phase II, an extension from Cornbrook, on the Altrincham line, through Salford Quays to Eccles. Service started as far as Broadway on 6 December 1999 and to Eccles on 21 July 2000. April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Categories: Stub | Greater Manchester ... Location within the British Isles Eccles is a Small Town in the northwest of England that is in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford but not, traditionally, part of Salford. ... December 6 is the 340th day (341st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Routes

See also: Normal weekday and Saturday service is on the following routes: Image File history File links Manchester_Metrolink_Map. ...

Service frequency is normally every 12 minutes, but the interleaving of the Altrincham – Bury direct service with the services to Piccadilly Station mean that for much of the route there are two trams every 12 minutes, usually three and nine minutes apart. Between Cornbrook and St Peter’s Square, the addition of the Eccles service increases the frequency.

The Altrincham – Bury direct service does not operate on Sundays. The current route length is:

Fare structure

Fares are charged depending on the number of fare zones travelled through, and whether travel is in the peak period - before 09:30 on a weekday, except on public holidays. The zones are shown to the right.

Tickets are purchased from machines at each stop. Single journeys must be completed within 90 minutes, return journeys the same day. It is also possible to purchase tickets from the machines for travel all day, for groups, or all weekend. Half the ticket machines accept only coins; the others will also accept banknotes, and give a maximum of £7 in change.

Fares: a ticket must be purchased before travel. A "standard fare" is charged for travelling without a ticket - for a first offence, £10 if paid on the spot, £15 if paid within 21 days; for a second offence in 12 months, £20 (£30 within 21 days); for a third offence, £40 (£60 within 21 days); for a fourth offence, £80.[1] Metrolink inspectors often board trams en masse at random tram stops, and frequently blockade the arrival platform at Piccadilly Station in the evening rush hour. Many people after being caught without a ticket have fled the station in an attempt to avoid leaving details with the inspectors so as to avoid receiving a fine, so Greater Manchester Police are often present at the checks. As the network does not have barrier system, some locals have a habit of "jumping the tram" (local slang) hoping to avoid an inspection. Pomona station was built with ticket barriers, currently not used. The change from paper tickets to more rigid card tickets on the newer ticket machines may mean that a barrier system will be used in future at the main interchanges. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is the Home Office police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, in North West England. ...

Vehicles

The Metrolink fleet currently consists of 26 Italian-built T-68 light-rail vehicles built in 1991 and numbered in the 1000 series, and six T68a vehicles built in 1999 for the Eccles extension and numbered in the 2000 series. The LRVs are articulated in the centre and normally operate singly, except during the rush hours when there are a few double trams along the Bury - Altrincham route. The 2000 series trams are modified for the Eccles line, which involves large amounts of street running, with retractable and covered couplers and covered bogies. Three 1000 series trams (1005, 1010 and 1015) are also modified in this way. Download high resolution version (900x680, 200 KB)A Manchester Metrolink tram seen here running through streets in Eccles towards the town centre terminus. ... Download high resolution version (900x680, 200 KB)A Manchester Metrolink tram seen here running through streets in Eccles towards the town centre terminus. ... Location within the British Isles Eccles is a Small Town in the northwest of England that is in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford but not, traditionally, part of Salford. ... A T-68 tram in Manchester city centre. ...

Twenty-three of the trams have name plates, named after famous Mancunian people, achievements or places.

List of Trams by name and number

^[1] ^[2] Robert Owen (May 14, 1771 â€“ November 17, 1858) was a Welsh socialist and social reformer. ... Arndale Centres are a large chain of shopping centres in the United Kingdom - they were the first American-style malls to be constructed in the UK. The first centre was built in Jarrow in 1961, and was followed by developments in Leeds, Luton, London, Bradford, Aberdeen, Poole and other British... Wreaths of artificial poppies used on Remembrance Day Image:BrLegionflag. ... Arndale Centres are a large chain of shopping centres in the United Kingdom - they were the first American-style malls to be constructed in the UK. The first centre was built in Jarrow in 1961, and was followed by developments in Leeds, Luton, London, Bradford, Aberdeen, Poole and other British... Salford Lads Club is a private mens club in the Salford district of Manchester. ... Arndale Centres are a large chain of shopping centres in the United Kingdom - they were the first American-style malls to be constructed in the UK. The first centre was built in Jarrow in 1961, and was followed by developments in Leeds, Luton, London, Bradford, Aberdeen, Poole and other British...

Patronage

Metrolink carried 18.8 million passengers in 2004, compared to 7.5 million who used the Bury and Altrincham rail services before Metrolink. At peak times, the trams are frequently overcrowded, especially at the city centre stations. Rush hour at Tokyo Station, Yamanote Line A rush hour is a part of the day with busy traffic and hence traffic congestion on the roads and crowded public transport; normally the two periods in a day when people are travelling to or from work or school. ...

Changes to the system since original construction

There have been a few modifications to the system since the opening of Phase I in 1992.

Market Street is one of the two principal retail streets in Manchester, England (the other is Deansgate). ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Future developments

The government had authorised the construction of Phase III of Metrolink, which will see a massive increase in the size of the network providing all the necessary money can be found: Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (700x939, 31 KB) Summary Greater Manchester Public Transport Executive (GMPTE) - Public Transport Map Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (700x939, 31 KB) Summary Greater Manchester Public Transport Executive (GMPTE) - Public Transport Map Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

In its review of transport expenditure published on 20 July 2004, the government withdrew funding for Phase III, which was therefore put on hold. The GMPTE fought against the decision, supported by the local councils and local community. In July 2005, GMPTE trying to save costs, announced that the western part of the Wythenshawe Loop (and Wythenshawe Hospital, Newall Green and Davenport Green stations) would not be built.^{[citation needed]} On 16 December 2004 the government announced that £520 million would be authorised for Phase III. A first stage of Phase III was given the go-ahead by the DTP on 6 July 2006, with a £300m funding gap expected to be met by a loan. Stage IIIa consists of the extensions to Rochdale Railway Station, Droylsden, and St Werburgh's Road. A bid for the second stage, would take the total cost of Phase III to an estimated £1.2 billion, will probably be made in 2007, and a road charging scheme is expected to be included to cover some of the cost.^[3] The Manchester to Rochdale via Oldham Line is a railway line which runs North East of Manchester City Centre to Rochdale via Oldham. ... Oldham is a large town in the north-west of England. ... Statistics Population: 94,000 (2001 Census)) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SD893130 Administration District: Rochdale Metropolitan county: Greater Manchester Region: North West England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Greater Manchester Historic county: Lancashire Services Police force: Greater Manchester Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: North West... Manchester Airport (IATA: MAN, ICAO: EGCC) is an airport in Manchester, England. ... Ashton-under-Lyne is a town in Greater Manchester with a population of 44,400 (2001 estimate). ... East Didsbury is a prosperous area of South Manchester. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the transport network. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD (or CE) era. ...

A network including all the proposed expansions will increase the size from 37 km with 37 stops to 113 km with 107 stops.

New contractors

Infrastructure Maintenance: A Stagecoach West Scotland vehicle in the UK Bus corporate livery. ... Keolis is a French transport group based in Paris. ...

Combined Operations and Tram maintenance, and Infrastructure Maintenance: The Netherlands Carillon in Arlington, Virginia, USA A carillon is a keyboard percussion instrument composed of a range of bells controlled by a keyboard. ... First Group PLC (LSE: FGP) is a British transport company operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland and North America, with headquarters in Aberdeen, Scotland. ...

A Stagecoach West Scotland vehicle in the UK Bus corporate livery. ... Keolis is a French transport group based in Paris. ...

Policing

Metrolink is policed by the Greater Manchester Police, not the British Transport Police. However the British Transport Police and British Transport Police Community Support Officers often travel on the trams between Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station and Manchester Victoria railway station. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is the Home Office police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, in North West England. ... The British Transport Police (BTP) is a non-Home Office national police service responsible for policing the railway system throughout Great Britain. ... The very modern approach to Manchester Piccadilly station The station concourse; platforms at this terminus station are behind a glass screen A Virgin Trains Pendolino awaiting departure to London The station side-wall showing the elevation of the platforms, which are on a level with the brown brickwork Manchester Piccadilly... Manchester Victoria Manchester Victoria railway station is the second of Manchesters mainline railway stations, now being much less important than Manchester Piccadilly station. ...

An initiative of Greater Manchester Police, which saw around 15 officers routinely patrolling the tram network, was stopped due to lack of funds.

Failings

One of the criticisms leveled at Metrolink is that it does not reach the Trafford Centre, other than via a shuttle bus from Stretford Metrolink stop, and travel on this shuttle bus is not covered by the MetroMax ticket that allows travel through the rest of the network. The line from Manchester city centre to Eccles is also disappointing, as it takes longer than an equivalent bus journey following a similar route, despite buses not being able to use the dedicated Metrolink infrastructure. Download high resolution version (800x840, 224 KB)A Manchester Metrolink tram at Piccadily Gardens station in central Manchester. ... Download high resolution version (800x840, 224 KB)A Manchester Metrolink tram at Piccadily Gardens station in central Manchester. ... The Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre located in Trafford in Greater Manchester, England, UK. // It has 118,766 square metres (1. ... Location within the British Isles Eccles is a Small Town in the northwest of England that is in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford but not, traditionally, part of Salford. ... An articulated bus operated by the CTA in Chicago, Illinois, USA. A Go North East Bus parked in a lay-by in Tyne and Wear, England A bus is a large road vehicle intended to carry numerous persons in addition to the driver and sometimes a conductor. ...

Since Metrolink's inception and the initial euphoria at the huge success by local public transport and environmental groups, it has become something of a victim of its own popularity. Many services are extremely busy, especially at peak times, and fares have risen at a rate far above that of inflation. The ride can also be seen by some as uncomfortable owing to their excessive yawing and rolling motion. Rush hour at Tokyo Station, Yamanote Line A rush hour is a part of the day with busy traffic and hence traffic congestion on the roads and crowded public transport; normally the two periods in a day when people are travelling to or from work or school. ...

Ticket machines' design has also been criticised, as, despite the high cost of some tickets, they do not accept debit/credit cards, and half of the machines do not accept bank notes, although most stops have at least one machine that accepts bank notes (one that does not is Woodlands Road). Some also have difficulty with some coins. A debit card is a plastic card which provides an alternative payment method to cash when making purchases. ... Credit cards A credit card system is a type of retail transaction settlement and credit system, named after the small plastic card issued to users of the system. ... A £20 Ulster Bank banknote. ...

Another potential failing has been identified in the single route through the city centre. The first problem is likely to arise when the new extensions are open - with six or seven routes all filing through the one route, questions have been raised about the possibility of a 'tram-jam'. The other issue is that the focus of the city centre is moving to other quarters not currently served by Metrolink. Suggestions have been made that any future phases of the system might include a second route through another section of the city centre. There have also been calls for the system to be extended along the busy Oxford/Wilmslow Roads - possibly underground. ^{[citation needed]}

References

The Manchester Evening News is a British daily newspaper published each week day evening and on Saturdays. ...

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