Transport for Greater Manchester has announced a major change to its plans for the upcoming Altrincham Metrolink closure, with direct shuttle buses now set to operate between Altrincham and Manchester city centre.
The move comes after TfGM initially confirmed that no dedicated replacement buses would serve Altrincham, Navigation Road or Timperley during the two-week shutdown from Monday October 19 to Sunday November 1.
Instead, passengers were told to use the existing 263 bus service or trains into Manchester, with replacement buses operating only between Sale and the city centre.
But in a welcome change of plan, TfGM has now confirmed that a new non-stop shuttle service will run directly between Altrincham and Piccadilly every 15 minutes.
The service will operate between 7am and 7pm during the closure, although a detailed timetable has yet to be published.
The announcement will come as a relief to commuters who had faced potentially lengthy journeys on the 263.
As previously reported by Altrincham Today, TfGM's own timetable shows that the 263 can take more than 70 minutes to travel from Altrincham Interchange to Piccadilly Gardens during the morning rush hour.
The 8.10am departure, for example, is scheduled to arrive at Piccadilly Gardens at 9.21am, a journey of 71 minutes.
The new direct shuttle will offer an alternative for passengers travelling between Altrincham and Manchester, although it will not serve intermediate stops such as Navigation Road and Timperley.
TfGM has not yet confirmed how long the direct shuttle journey will take.
The revised arrangements represent a significant change from those outlined last month.
At the time, Ian Davies, Metrolink Network Director at TfGM, said the decision to provide replacement buses only from Sale had been shaped by feedback from passengers during the summer's three-week closure.
He said TfGM was using its limited number of available buses in the most effective way possible by concentrating replacement services between Sale and the city centre and increasing capacity on the 263.
The latest announcement means Altrincham passengers will now have a dedicated direct connection to Manchester during the day, alongside the enhanced 263 service and existing rail services.
Passengers with seven-day, 28-day and annual Metrolink passes will also be able to use a range of Bee Network buses, including the 263, and rail services between Altrincham, Navigation Road and Manchester city centre.
The Altrincham line will close completely from October 19 to November 1 while major improvement works take place at Deansgate-Castlefield and Trafford Bar.
The Eccles and Trafford Centre lines will also be suspended, with replacement bus services operating across affected parts of the network.
TfGM says carrying out additional work in the city centre during the same period will help reduce the need for further closures.
Normal tram services are scheduled to resume on Monday November 2, although some minor route changes through the city centre will remain in place until Wednesday November 4.
