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Metrolink Updates

9M views 58K replies 802 participants last post by  Ashtonian 
#1 ·
Seeing as the last thread seems to have gone here is another...

The following shows the madness of spending money on roads to relief congestion instead of trams...

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/men/news/s/166/166225_bumper_business_chokes_the_roads.html

Bumper business chokes the roads
Yakub Qureshi


JAMS: early morning traffic on the A57TAMESIDE has the biggest traffic growth in the country, figures reveal today.

A congestion blacklist published by the Department of Transport showed there were 36 per cent more cars and lorries on Tameside roads than in 1997 - the biggest increase in England.

Two other Greater Manchester areas, Oldham, in second place with 32.4 per cent, and Bury, 18 per cent, also recorded some of the sharpest rises in congestion. Tameside, Oldham and Bury were all above the national increase of 11 per cent.

Transport groups said the findings confirmed their worst fears about congestion in the region and blamed the delay of the Metrolink extension for increasing traffic jams.

Traffic bosses said they believed the bulk of the increase was due to the addition of the M60 Denton to Middleton extension, which had brought more traffic to area.

Coun Alan Whitehead, Tameside's executive member for technical services, said: "When there are good connections more people will want to use them. Regeneration has seen a lot firms moving into Tameside.

"People want to come to the great workshops of Manchester, and developments in places like Glossop, High Peak and Saddleworth means there will be additional traffic coming through Tameside."

Congestion

He believed the planned Metrolink extension, which was promised in the government's election manifesto, would help ease congestion.

Andrew Shaw, co-ordinator of Friends of the Earth Oldham, said: "There has definitely been an increase of traffic. The M60 has brought an associated increase in traffic throughout the borough and people are travelling more between their homes and work.

"The government is throwing a lot of money at the road network at the same time that it has reneged on its promise for the new Metrolink to Oldham and Tameside."

The Liberal Democrats, who requested the information, which dates from when Labour came into government, said motorists should be charged for driving into urban areas.

Tom Brake MP, the party's transport spokesman, claimed London-style congestion fees would cut traffic and fund better public transport.

He said: "John Prescott infamously remarked that if the government did not reduce road traffic it would have failed. These figures are the clearest indicator that it has failed."
 
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#20,662 ·
Cheers freel, what's the duty cycle please..?
Sorry that's me descending into engineering speak again. In this case its really nothing more than the number of operations per day. Some sets of points on Metrolink are expected to make far more operations each day than the average on heavy rail. Many on Phase 1 lines use the same equipment as Network Rail but take the equipment beyond it's design life. I know that perhaps in London and The South East and London Underground there will be equipment which is driven even harder but particularly in the case of LU they can afford to use specially designed kit.

I don't think the set at Trafford Bar fall into this catgeory though. For some reason they just don't seem to be up to the job.
 
#20,665 ·
Completely off the north/south topic but just overheard another person asking the inspectors on the last tram to Bury tonight about the 'via xxx' signs on the front of trams. According to the inspectors these via signs are here to stay. The man asked about the visibility issue and the inspector said that the next tram indicator signs should be accurate and actually installed on the bury line very soon...
PIDs for Bury/Alt line should indeed not be far away. The new fibre-optic data ring(s) on these lines are now all but complete, and should soon be in service - meaning that data can be sent to PIDs.
I'd estimate that the fibre rings will be operational by the end of February, and PIDs operational as soon after that as they can install and test them.
 
#20,667 ·
Sorry but the Droylsden tram has some way to go before it gets large numbers during peak rush hour times. It might be busier after 9.30am but the things are empty compared to the buses. There was only 7 on the one I've just past as it left edge lane.
Could Stagecoach be made to drop a number of 216s down per hour to encourage more people on the trams? Think as Freel07 mentioned that it may pick up once the park and ride opens at Ashton Moss.
Can't see many using the service from Ashton town centre during peak times. If people time it right you might as well spend the same money and get the train.
I really think if the fares were lower it would attract more people on.
A mate at work who lives in Droylsden is still using the bus.
Hardly a good measure to use the second day as a pointer to how well the service might go in terms of passenger number is it.

You almost seem to be willing it to fail. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion but lets be a little more realistic and give it a chance to settle down. the fact that your mate is still using the bus may be significant to him but I don't think TfGM will be suffering sleepless night.
 
#20,668 ·
PIDs for Bury/Alt line should indeed not be far away. The new fibre-optic data ring(s) on these lines are now all but complete, and should soon be in service - meaning that data can be sent to PIDs.
I'd estimate that the fibre rings will be operational by the end of February, and PIDs operational as soon after that as they can install and test them.
That's great news mister! Thanks for sharing :cheers:
 
#20,669 ·
Question:

When you see a status like this one:

12/02/2013 12:17 Delays to services

Metrolink services

Due to an earlier points issue in the Trafford Bar area, some passengers may experience a delay to their journey this morning. Metrolink apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

A service is running between Bury to Droylsden Via Piccadilly.

A service is operating on the Eccles/MediaCityUK line.

A service is operating on the Altrincham and Bury line.
Does that mean no service is running on the SML/ORL line?
 
#20,670 · (Edited)
Question:

When you see a status like this one:

Does that mean no service is running on the SML/ORL line?
I can confirm trams are currently running on both the ORL and SML as one has just pulled up at Freehold inbound with "St Werburgh's Road via Market Street" on it :)

Edit: Notice it also says twice that there are services on the Bury line. I think they could do with putting an extra 10 seconds thought into how they word it...
 
#20,673 · (Edited)
Hardly a good measure to use the second day as a pointer to how well the service might go in terms of passenger number is it.

You almost seem to be willing it to fail. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion but lets be a little more realistic and give it a chance to settle down. the fact that your mate is still using the bus may be significant to him but I don't think TfGM will be suffering sleepless night.
Yesterday whilst traveling back and fro, I peered into the passing buses.

They appeared to be carrying handfuls of passengers. Less than the trams.

In a month or more when people's passes etc run out, they will have the choice of tram or bus.
Some of the choice will be about destination, accessibility, cost, speed and whether you can put with the kind of anti social behavior regularly witnessed on the buses.

And of course Ashtonians will have the train. Some choice to have. My uncle tells me that it wasn't so long ago (which means probably 20 years ago) that past 6pm it was three buses and one train per hour and the train was at the same time as one of the buses from Ashton. And one of the bus trawled around Clayton. It took him 50 minutes to get to town.

This line is a success. No doubt as it's principle raison d 'être is MCFC. This alone will skew the figures and demonstrate it's necessity.

And as for competition. The Bury line happily runs alongside the 135 bus and to a lesser degree the X43 coaches.
 
#20,675 ·
Re gen. It's all locked together if we recall the original aspirations for New East Manchester.

A mixture of new housing, small businesses and public service facilities, anchored by SportsCity. The tram makes it even more accessible.

And by no mean chance, it has stimulated the concreting of Ashton Moss along what is Lord Sheldon Way.

Now girls and boys there was some big housing project for around Holt Town. Remind me what was it. We had a thread on if I recall.
 
#20,676 ·
Yesterday whilst traveling back and fro, I peered into the passing buses.

They appeared to be carrying handfuls of passengers. Less than the trams.

In a month or more when people's passes etc run out, they will have the choice of tram or bus.

Some of the choice will be about destination, accessibility, cost, speed and whether you can put with the kind of anti social behavior regularly witnessed on the buses.

This line is a success. No doubt as it's principle raison d 'être is MCFC. This alone will skew the figures and demonstrate it's necessity.

And as for competition. The Bury line happily runs alongside the 135 bus and to a lesser degree the X43 coaches.
Not to mention the 83 that runs to within a few minutes walk of 5 of the 7 ORL stops between Mumps and Victoria, and yet both tram and bus get very high numbers of people.

And the bus (that I can not remember the number of, but I think it's the 142) that runs from East Didsbury to Manchester via the uni which will compete with the SML from summer.

Pretty much each tram line has competition from well-established bus lines, and some with train lines too, yet trams always prove successful :) :banana:
 
#20,677 ·
To add my two pence worth....I am currently out of work and I am busy applying for a whole host of jobs.

Anyway, there are a few jobs that I have applied for that are in East Manchester and are now served by the Metrolink.

Prior to the opening of this line I wouldn't have considered applying as I don't have a car and I think having to get a tram into Manchester and then a bus would mean too much hassle in the morning and evenings.

Perhaps it's just me and my personal preference, but I'd rather use the tram if possible and so the opening of this line has widened the range of potential jobs for me. Maybe I'm not alone in this way of thinking...



(If anyone hears of any jobs, feel free to PM me :cheers:)
 
#20,680 ·
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