TRANSPORT | Metrolink - Future Phases & Fantasy Extensions

[MarkO]

Nice one JdR - that really brings it home to us, especially with the snow covering the trambahns and central reservations etc, it's as if the weather had laid out a nice white carpet to show the future route, just for you on your 217!

Bravo fella.

:-)

[WingTips]

Great Pics..well done

[MarkO]

Copy of an interesting post seen on the construction thread

Originally Posted by Vision 2020 Mcr

Just been looking at the 2CC options and have thought of another possible route that would give more of the city-centre/Salford border area access to Metrolink and reduce the problems associated with a network failure between gmex and piccadilly/victoria.
This is the suggested route (sorry I can't map this one)

Victoria to Exchange Square (stop 1) - viable if the wheel goes and would support footfall at the struggling Triangle.

Exchange Sq to St Mary's Parsonage via Parsonage Gardens. This would be incorporated into the West Properties redevelopment of the Ramada complex, reducing disruption. Stop 2: Bridge Street/King Street West

West onto Bridge Street and then South onto Gartside Street via Civil Justice Centre. South-west onto Young Street towards Quay Street. Possible Stop 3

Continue onto Atherton Street and East towards Lower Byrom Street. Southward past MOSI with possible stop 4 just before Liverpool Road.

Southward along Duke Street with ramp up to join existing line at Cornbrook.

[tomegranate]

Mapped Vision's suggestion:

[apologiesforthedelay]

Link doesn't work.

[tomegranate]

Hmm. Try http://twitpic.com/10b4br/full
I can't access Imageshack at work, can someone upload it there and imbed into this thread?

[apologiesforthedelay]

[iheartthenew]

here's my fantasy salford line:

[Chorlton Metro]

Good Evening Gents.
I notice all tram routes go to and from the city center,what i would like to know is ,say phase 4 ,5 , 6 etc will it be possable for routes to go from area to area i.e Bolton to Bury or Altrincham to Wythenshawe or Stockport to Ashton, or will all future routes have to go in to Manchester ,what do you guys think.

ps Chorlton platforms coming on great ,workforce working up to 7.00pm

[Seasonedbest]

I think this has been mentioned before, but I doubt there would be high enough demand for travelling between provincial towns for it to be economically viable. Any future funding would almost certainly be solely used to expand/create new lines to other areas.

[Seasonedbest]

In terms of 2cc, the only two routes that were ever going to be considered were the ones that were originally drawn up, simply due to the amount of pedestrian footfall, public areas, retail etc. The two stops proposed will be a popular alternative to walking up Market street/Piccadilly, and still remains very accessibly for shoppers coming from Deansgate and Spinningfields.

[Vision 2020 Mcr]

Thanks for this - looks good. Not sure the likes of Harvey Nics and Louis Vuitton would want trams crossing their doorstep every few minutes! So perhaps towards Victoria Bridge St and then along the river/under the Ramada replacement.

[tomegranate]

Originally Posted by Vision 2020 Mcr

Not sure the likes of Harvey Nics and Louis Vuitton would want trams crossing their doorstep every few minutes!

Fuck 'em.

[Motortownman]

Originally Posted by apologiesforthedelay

oooh too any corners i think... imagine the speed?

[Seasonedbest]

Yeah, 3003 doesn't like corners. It moans.

[heatonparkincakes]

Couple of points

a. that suggested alternative cross city scores highly in the creative stakes but I guess its a little too long winded to be took up.

But the suggested spur off to Pendleton is curious. You should pass it onto the local councillors to see what their thoughts are on this.

b. transmetropolitan express by chorlton

Erm the demand is unproven. I am sure if the rails had remained then bury to say bolton would still run.

As I know the only suggested reopening is within an on running study on the feasibility of re opening the Rawtenstall Bury Heywood Victoria line.

I think Bolton to Bury is largely redundnat witha huge build on at Radcliffe-Bolton border.

Ashton to oldham is moribund and would need a massively expensive new bridge over the Medlock

Altrincham to Stockport exists as the present Chester stopper service, but I am sure its a keen candidate for any tram-train system.

[monkey_rat]

I always thought Chapel Street would be a lovely wee route, passing neatly from Victoria Street and under the bridge.. No idea how the tram would get from Victoria though.

[markydeedrop]

I would love to have Metrolink in Victoria station undercroft. We could then have lifts/escalators between the 2 levels. Once the tram departs the undercroft it passes next to the new Chethams building and crosses the river (new bridge or at least a modified bridge maybe required), then directly down Chapel St.

[spoonsbeatfish]

Originally Posted by markydeedrop

I would love to have Metrolink in Victoria station undercroft. We could then have lifts/escalators between the 2 levels. Once the tram departs the undercroft it passes next to the new Chethams building and crosses the river (new bridge or at least a modified bridge maybe required), then directly down Chapel St.

Is there a Victoria station undercroft that Metrolink could ever use, in a similar way to the Picc station one?

[iheartthenew]

I started my fantasy line down Chapel Street (and on to pendleton) from the 2CC on Cross St, turning right down Market St in front of M+S, down St Marys Gate and then Blackfriars, turning left down on to Chapel St at the Black Lion PH. Why? Nice big corners for trams to go round at both M+S and the Black Lion, Market St (in front of M+S) and St Marys Gate are already partially restricted to traffic and wide enough to take a stop, a stop which I think would be VERY popular. Also wouldn't cost too much - reuses a section of 2CC and would require the least amount of civil engineering (bridges, undercrofts etc....)