Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced that Manchester and surrounding areas will face tram disruptions as the Ashton line will be closed for a whole weekend – affecting 14 Metrolink stops. The Ashton line will be closed in order to carry out essential maintenance on the line and near Piccadilly Station.
The works form part of the next phase of a £147m programme to maintain, upgrade and improve Greater Manchester’s tram network through to 2027. It comes after work to replace ageing tracks between Piccadilly Station and Piccadilly Gardens was successfully completed in early August. Essential work was also completed at other city centre locations over the spring and summer, including at York Street and Market Street.
When will the Ashton Metrolink line be closed?
From Friday 5th September to Sunday 7th September, sections of tram track on the Ashton line and near Piccadilly Station will undergo essential maintenance. During this time, no trams will operate between Piccadilly Gardens and Ashton-under-Lyne.
A replacement bus service will operate between the affected stops. Tram services will resume from start of service on Monday 8th September.
During this closure additional work will be carried out across the Ashton line network including drainage works at locations in Droylsden and Audenshaw.
Will any other Metrolink lines or stops be closed during September?
Victoria
On Sunday 14th September, from the start of service until 10am, no trams will operate through Victoria. During this time, the Rochdale and Bury lines will terminate at Victoria, the East Didsbury line will terminate at Exchange Square and services from Manchester Airport will operate to Piccadilly. A bus replacement service will operate between Piccadilly and Victoria.
Rochdale line
From Saturday 20th to Sunday 21st September, drainage and track renewal works will take place at Derker. No tram services will operate between Freehold and Rochdale Town Centre during this time. A bus replacement service will operate between the affected stops.
“The final piece of this year’s planned track replacement programme”
Danny Vaughan, Chief Network Officer at Transport for Greater Manchester, said: “This is the final piece of this year’s planned track replacement programme, and we would like to thank everyone for bearing with us while these essential upgrades have been carried out.
“Metrolink is the largest light rail network in the country and forms a key part of the Bee Network, with our trams carrying 46 million passenger journeys last year alone. As more people choose to get on board the Bee Network, it’s important we continue to invest in our tram system to keep it safe, reliable and accessible for years to come.”
Further information on both sets of works can be found on the dedicated tram improvement works page on the Bee Network website.