Manchester Metrolink

Efficient, cheap public transport seems to be a very pressing issue. As a non-driver it is vital I have a reliable system. Luckily living in Manchester we have the Metrolink alongside the trains and buses. What is the Metrolink? It is Manchester's tram system. Manchester is almost unique in Britain for having such a system. The only other place I know of is Sheffield. (I know Blackpool has them but they are not really working public transport. They are just for the tourists). However it does not look like a tram you would see at Blackpool or Critch Tram Museum. Instead of looking like a bus ... more

So in my quest to find a new job (and getting a sodding tax disc from the DVLA) today I had to venture to the bright lights of Manchester city centre, my chosen method of transportation the metrolink from Radcliffe. OK the metrolink for the uninitiated is the tram system that runs through Manchester city centre connecting Bury, Altrincham and Eccles with the city. The trams run on the Bury line roughly every 6minutes during the day and every 12 minutes at off peak times, from 6am until 11pm. The trams are in the companies green and grey livery with a drivers cab at either end, they are simply ... more

The current network in Manchester runs to Altrincham, Bury and Eccles. In the city there is a spur to Piccadilly Station. The platforms are reasonably spacious, all have disabled access, and a ticket machine. There are random spot checks on the trams, and a £20 fine if you are caught without a ticket, so buying a ticket prior to boarding is essential. In theory the trams run every six minutes to Altrincham and Bury, and every twelve minutes to Eccles. In practice for a variety of reasons, the trams very rarely run as frequently as they should, often leaving 24 minute gaps on the Eccles line ... more

Love them or hate them trams are quicker to get from one point to another in Manchester than either buses or cars. There aren't tram routes in all parts of Manchester or Greater Manchester but there are new routes being built which is a good thing. Trains are better but on some routes there are no trains but there are trams so you have the option to use the tram or take a long bus or car journey. The trams are comfortable and clean but at night sometimes there are dodgy thugs who get on so it can be scary so be careful. It doesn't really matter but the new grey and yellow colour of the trams ... more

Thanks to the poor management of Serco and a lack of funding, the ailing Eccles line only gets poorer every year. 3 days out of 5 there's at least a 24 minute delay due to broken down trams (of which they have no extras.) Announcements at various points on the line run in 'night mode' which apparently means not at all. Often times you must ring the heavily burdened customer service line to get someone to tell you what is going on. Thankfully they usually have some answer, even if it's not the one you want. I've been told by their public relations department that often times the choice to ... more