TRANSPORT FOR Greater Manchester is to invest £21.4 million in a series of improvements to the Metrolink network over the next 12 months.
The funding has come from the Government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement and is part of a planned £147 million package to maintain, upgrade and improve the network up to 2027.
The main bulk of the work to be completed this year will include track replacement in several parts of the city centre, including Piccadilly Gardens and London Road, and on parts of the Altrincham and Bury lines. It is also planned to provide additional substations on the Bury line to provide additional power for the operation of more double trams on the line in the future.
TfGM said it is currently looking at some overhead electrification renewals on some of the older parts of the network, which first opened in April 1992. Much of the network’s communications system is also being replacement to help improve reliability.
Work is also being done to modify the 147-strong Bombardier/Alstom M5000 fleet in use on Metrolink. This will include the fitting of speed warning devices (one of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch recommendations following the Sandilands Junction derailment on London Tramlink in 2016) and also the fitting of sensors in the middle of coupled trams to deal with repeated problems experienced on Metrolink with ‘tram surfing’ incidents.
Danny Vaughan, TfGM’s head of Metrolink, said: “Metrolink is an integral part of the Bee Network and it’s really important that we invest in it to continue providing a safe, reliable and positive experience for the thousands of people who travel with us
