Tram commuters on the Altrincham line are facing huge disruption this morning after a van ploughed through a brick wall and landed on the tracks near to the Brooklands stop.
Two people have been taken to hospital following the incident, with one man said to be seriously injured, followed a collision in the early hours of this morning on Marsland Road.
The incident has caused damage to the overhead lines and both inbound and outbound Metrolink tracks are blocked.
Engineers are on the site assessing the damage, but Transport for Greater Manchester said it will take some time to repair.
Due to the ongoing Police incident in the Brooklands area the Altrincham Line is still part suspended. Services are operating between Old Trafford and Piccadilly in both directions. pic.twitter.com/eZrbLCH0YG
— Manchester Metrolink (@MCRMetrolink) November 12, 2018
Metrolink services on the Altrincham line are only able to operate between Old Trafford and Piccadilly, in both directions, while the repair work takes place.
A Metrolink spokesperson said: “Due to a serious road traffic collision which occurred overnight Metrolink services are currently suspended between Altrincham and the city centre.
“It appears a van has gone through a brick wall and dropped onto the Metrolink tracks just north of the Brooklands stop, damaging the overhead lines and blocking both the inbound and outbound tracks.
“Engineers are already on site assessing the damage to both the tracks and lines and working to resolve any issues, a crane is also on site to remove the vehicle.
“But the process of repair and recovery will take some time and as such Metrolink services on the Altrincham line will only be running to and from the Old Trafford stop until this situation is resolved.
“Extra trams are running to Sale Water Park for anyone who can access the Park and Ride site at that location and Northern Rail services are also accepting Metrolink tickets. Ticket acceptance has been put in place on the 263 bus service and we are also attempting to put extra buses on for passengers but I would advise people to allow extra time for their journeys if they use this line.
“I’d like to apologise for any inconvenience this incident may cause, we will ensure it is dealt with as quickly as possible and keep our customers updated.”
“Customers are advised to follow the Metrolink Twitter feed or visit TfGM’s website for the latest updates: www.tfgm.com.”
