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Metrolink’s Second City Crossing undergoes rigorous testing ahead of opening

Posted: 24 January 2017 | Katie Sadler, Intelligent Transport | No comments yet

Metrolink’s Second City Crossing has undergone another successful round of testing taking it another step closer opening.

Metrolink’s Second City Crossing undergoes rigorous testing ahead of opening

Councillor Andrew Fender (left) and Councillor Pat Karney (right) join engineers to witness first-hand the rigorous testing and commissioning process for the Metrolink Second City Crossing.

Metrolink’s Second City Crossing has undergone another successful round of testing taking it another step closer opening.

Metrolink’s Second City Crossing undergoes rigorous testing ahead of opening

Councillor Andrew Fender (left) and Councillor Pat Karney (right) join engineers to witness first-hand the rigorous testing and commissioning process for the Metrolink Second City Crossing.

Councillors Andrew Fender and Pat Karney joined engineers to ride Metrolink’s new Second City Crossing and witness first-hand the rigorous testing and commissioning process.

The new route, which will connect the major new St Peter’s Square tram stop with Exchange Square and Victoria Station, is on track to open to passengers soon.

The route is part of a £1.5bn expansion programme which has seen extensions to MediaCityUK, East Didsbury, Rochdale via Oldham, Ashton and Manchester Airport. Furthermore, it will allow more trams to run through the city centre and across the 93-stop network.

“While the Second City Crossing is a relatively short stretch of line, it is a crucial piece in the Metrolink jigsaw”

Councillor Fender, Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, said: “We’re on the home stretch now as engineers carry out the final phase of testing to check all the infrastructure and test out the tram management system on this important new route through the city.

“While the Second City Crossing is a relatively short stretch of line, it is a crucial piece in the Metrolink jigsaw – allowing us to run more trams on a more flexible and reliable tram network. That’s great news not just for the city centre, but for customers right across Greater Manchester.”

Councillor Pat Karney added: “It’s a thrill to be one of the first people to experience a journey on the new Second City Crossing. We’ve all seen the progress as the work to lay the line through the city has gone on, and to be able to see the finish line in sight is fantastic after the years of hard work.”

Second City Crossing opening date to be announced in the coming weeks

Transport for Greater Manchester has announced that an opening date for the Second City Crossing will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Once open, services will run on the following routes:

Once the new line is open services will run on the following routes:

  • Altrincham – Bury
  • Altrincham – Etihad Campus
  • Bury – Piccadilly
  • Ashton-under-Lyne – Eccles
  • MediaCityUK – Piccadilly
  • Manchester Airport – Deansgate-Castlefield
  • East Didsbury – Rochdale Town Centre
  • East Didsbury – Shaw and Crompton

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