Metrolink network will soon need 'significant upgrades'

The ageing Metrolink network will need significant maintenance in the coming years, Andy Burnham has said. The Greater Manchester mayor said ‘significant upgrades’ will be needed.

The upgrades will likely require part shut-downs of the network to enable planned maintenance work to take place, such as the temporary closure between Market Street and Shudehill in July. Mr Burnham indicated that plans were in the progress on ‘how to manage’ the works.

The mayor spoke on Radio Manchester yesterday morning (October 10) and responded to a caller who complained that ‘nearly every traffic report coming up is a broken down tram or points failure’.

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Mr Burnham said: “I’ll give you an honest answer: the tram system is in need now, in parts, of some significant upgrade. I’m going through how we’re going to manage an upgrade to that infrastructure because a lot of it is 30 years old.”

Asked if there would be closures, he continued: “Yes, we’ve done that in recent times. It won’t be easy. But we’ve got a brilliant tram system and we’re going to have to upgrade it but also extend it.”

The response comes after the tram network encountered several major issues this year, from a train derailment at Cornbrook, subsidence issues in Shaw and huge maintenance interventions in Shudehill.

There are also major works taking place in the next few months. The Rochdale line is due to close between October 19 to 31, with closures between the railway station and town centre.

A full network closure will take place on October 20 and November 3, with no services until 9am. And November will also see further works take place at Victoria and Bury.

But Mr Burnham also noted the ‘ambitious plans’ for the Bee Network, with eight rail lines due to be brought under Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) management and a ‘London-style tap-in tap-out’ system planned across trains, trams and buses by 2030.