Altrincham tram passengers are entering the final stretch of a Metrolink closure that has tested the patience of commuters – but transport bosses insist the payoff will be felt for decades.
Since Monday 13 July, the line has been shut while Metrolink carries out the biggest upgrade in its history at Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield, forcing Altrincham, Navigation Road and Timperley passengers onto replacement buses, trains and Bee Network services for their daily commute.
For three weeks, journeys that took half an hour by tram have meant crowded buses, extra changes and battling city-bound traffic.
The end is now in sight however: trams are due back on the line from the start of service on Monday 3 August.
So what has all the disruption actually been for?
Around 1.6km of track near Trafford Bar – some of it more than 30 years old and at the end of its working life – is being ripped out and replaced, on what TfGM describes as one of the busiest stretches of tram line in the country, carrying 40-tonne trams every 30 seconds at peak times.
Up to 40 workers have been on site around the clock, working day and night shifts to get the job done as quickly as possible.
Heavy machinery has been hauling concrete sleepers – which weigh up to a tonne for every three – into position along the route, with each one checked and adjusted by hand before the new rails go in.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, new drainage is also being installed alongside the tracks to cut the risk of flooding, trams are being serviced while they're off the road, and lifts are being replaced at several stops to improve step-free access.
What passengers will notice
The benefits should be tangible for Altrincham line users when services resume. On one stretch of the old track, trams were restricted to just 5mph – that limit could rise to as much as 20mph on the new rails, reducing the risk of delays rippling along the line.
The replacement track uses a newer design that is expected to make journeys noticeably smoother, and TfGM says the new rails should not need replacing for another 30 years.
Ian Davies, network director for Metrolink at TfGM, said: “These upgrades will also help us reduce journey times and make services more reliable for passengers.
“At the same time, we’re taking the opportunity to service our trams, helping to improve reliability when services resume. We’re also replacing lifts at a number of stops to provide more dependable step-free access.
“We’re sorry for the disruption. We know it can be annoying, and while these essential upgrades take place we will do everything we can to keep people moving.”
The summer's disruption is not quite over yet. The line will close again on Sunday 9 August, from the start of service until 2pm, for further works at the same two stops.
And TfGM has confirmed that more work is expected around October, when other sections of ageing track will be dug up and replaced.
Until Sunday, replacement buses continue to run between Altrincham and Piccadilly – every 7.5 minutes from 6am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, every 15 minutes from 7am on Sunday, and every 30 minutes after 8pm.
Hourly-to-half-hourly Northern trains from Altrincham, Navigation Road and Hale to Piccadilly remain an alternative.
