Investment Wave: Millions Allocated for Manchester's Metrolink Expansion
Manchester's Metrolink, the UK's largest light rail service, is set for a significant upgrade, maintenance, and expansion program, following the approval of new funding by the Bee Network committee. The funds, amounting to £21.4m, come from the government's City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS).
The immediate priorities for this summer include track replacement in several parts of the city centre, including Piccadilly Gardens and London Road, as well as on parts of the Altrincham and Bury Lines. This work will temporarily cause some disruption, which will be managed to prevent passengers from being too affected.
The Metrolink is also installing electrical substations along parts of the Bury Line to provide additional power for future double trams. Moreover, the service is replacing much of its communications network critical to the operation of its signalling and control systems.
Plans also include a program of modifications to the trams themselves. These modifications include sensors in the middle of double trams and speed warning devices. The fleet of 147 M5000 trams currently in service will be supplemented by Next Generation Vehicles, fully walkthrough double-length trams with greater capacity.
A £1.6 billion procurement process is underway for a new Metrolink operations and maintenance contract (MOMA-2), starting in 2027 and potentially lasting 11-12 years. This contract will cover maintenance, renewal of core infrastructure (tracks, overhead wiring, depots, trams), and support future capital projects like new stops, next-gen trams, and network extensions.
Safety and accessibility enhancements form part of the contract scope, including stop improvements, raised walkways, authorized walking routes adjacent to tracks, and step-free access upgrades. The overall ambition is to create a world-class, integrated, sustainable transport network (Bee Network), growing capacity, enhancing service reliability, and prioritizing passenger experience across an extensive network carrying 42-46 million journeys annually.
Danny Vaughan, TfGM's Head of Metrolink, stated that Metrolok is an integral part of the Bee Network. The funds are part of a planned £147m package to maintain, upgrade, and improve the network up to 2027. Since opening in 1992, more than 700 million journeys have been made on the trams. Strategic planning includes multiple line extensions and expansions with ongoing development of business cases for projects like the North-West line expansion, Stockport Metrolink expansion, and the Pathfinder tram-train scheme linking Oldham, Rochdale, Heywood, and Bury, targeting construction starts by 2028-2030.
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