Eccles Line

Last updated

Eccles Line
Greater Manchester Metrolink - tram 3009A.jpg
Overview
Locale Manchester
Eccles
Termini
Stations11
Service
Type Tram/Light rail
System Manchester Metrolink
Rolling stock Bombardier M5000 (2009-Present)
AnsaldoBreda T-68/T68A (1999-2014)
History
Opened6 December 1999 (Cornbrook to Broadway)
21 July 2000 (Broadway to Eccles)
20 September 2010 (spur to MediaCityUK)
Technical
Line length4 miles (6.4 km)
Character Reserved track and
street running
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification 750 volts DC overhead
Operating speed35 mph (55km/h)
Route map

Contents

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Cornbrook
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Bridgewater Canal
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Pomona
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Exchange Quay
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Salford Quays
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Anchorage
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Harbour City
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MediaCityUK BSicon BICYCLE.svg
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Broadway
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Langworthy
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Weaste
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Ladywell BSicon PARKING.svg
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Eccles BSicon BUS.svg ( National Rail logo.svg

The Eccles Line is a tram line of the Manchester Metrolink in Greater Manchester running from Manchester to Eccles via Salford Quays, with a short spur to MediaCityUK. It was opened in phases during 1999–2000 as part of the second phase of the system's development. The spur to MediaCityUK was opened in 2010. The line contains a mixture of reserved track beds and a street running section.

Route

Two trams crossing the Manchester Ship Canal on Pomona Viaduct. Trams over Pomona.JPG
Two trams crossing the Manchester Ship Canal on Pomona Viaduct.

The line physically starts at a junction with the Altrincham Line, just west of Cornbrook tram stop, which itself was opened with the line, initially as an interchange between the Eccles and Altrincham lines. It then runs over the 650-metre-long Pomona Viaduct, which carries the line over the Bridgewater Canal: Pomona tram stop is located upon this viaduct south of the ship canal, and is the interchange with the Trafford Park Line which opened in March 2020.

The line then takes a sharp right turn to pass over the Manchester Ship Canal to enter the Salford Quays area, and plunges down to street-level to get to Exchange Quay tram stop. It takes another sharp turn and crosses Trafford Road to get to Salford Quays, then runs alongside and crosses over The Quays (road) and travels on a short bridge (Furness Quay Ramp) to get to Anchorage. After crossing another road and travelling on a short off-street section, it gets to Harbour City. There is a short spur after this tram stop to MediaCityUK. After the next stop, Broadway, the line begins running on the street at South Langworthy Road, then takes a sharp left turn to get onto Eccles New Road and Langworthy tram stop. It runs all the way to Eccles town centre along Eccles New Road, serving Weaste and Ladywell, temporarily pulling to the side of the road to serve tram stops instead of disrupting traffic, much like the East Manchester Line, another line on the Metrolink network. After Ladywell, the line ducks into a tunnel underneath Ladywell Roundabout, and reappears at street-level again just before Eccles tram stop, and at the same time, the track singles: Eccles is served by a single-platform tram stop.

Route map

Map of the line Ecclesline.png
Map of the line

History

During the 1990s, Salford Quays became a business district specifically redeveloped for commerce, leisure, culture and tourism with a high density of business units and modern housing, complemented by a cinema complex, office blocks, and waterfront promenade. [1] As it had poor public transport integration and no rail provision, it was earmarked for a potential Metrolink line as early as 1986 and legal authority to construct the line through the Quays was acquired in 1990. [2] [3] The Quays received millions of pounds of investment and a public consultation and public inquiry resulted in government endorsement in 1994. In autumn 1995 a 4-mile (6.4 km) Metrolink line branching from Cornbrook tram stop to Eccles via Salford Quays capitalising on the regenerated Quayside was confirmed as Phase 2 of Metrolink. [2] [4] [3] No funding came from central government and money was raised from the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (GMPTA), the European Regional Development Fund and private developers. [2] [3] In April 1997 Altram, a consortium of the Serco, Ansaldo and John Laing, was appointed to construct the Eccles Line; Serco, responsible for the Sheffield Supertram would operate the whole network under contract; Ansaldo provided six additional vehicles — T-68As – and signalling equipment. Construction work officially began on 17 July 1997. [2] [3] [5]

The Eccles Line was officially opened as far as Broadway tram stop on 6 December 1999 by the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who praised Metrolink as "exactly the type of scheme needed to solve the transport problems of the metropolitan areas of the country"; [6] [7] a service to Eccles Interchange joined the network on 21 July 2000, [4] [2] and was officially declared open by Anne, Princess Royal at a ceremony on 9 January 2001. [8]

The specially-constructed 360-metre (0.22 mi) long spur to MediaCityUK tram stop was opened on 20 September 2010, to serve the MediaCityUK development. [9] The Eccles Line underwent essential track renewal over a two-month period in 2016. [10]

Services

As of 2024, there are two services running on the Eccles Line: [11]

Rolling stock

One of the original T-68A trams, now retired, street running along Eccles New Road in 2005. Metrolink tram in Eccles.jpg
One of the original T-68A trams, now retired, street running along Eccles New Road in 2005.

To commence operations in 1999, six T-68A trams were ordered to operate the line. These were variants of the original T-68 trams which had operated the original system from 1992, which had modifications to allow them to operate on the street running section of the Eccles line with other motor traffic. All of the T-68 fleet was eventually modified to allow them to operate on the Eccles line. [12]

From 2009 the new fleet of M5000 trams were introduced, and these replaced the T-68/A trams during 2012–14. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester Metrolink</span> Tram system in Greater Manchester, England

Manchester Metrolink is a tram/light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. The network has 99 stops along 64 miles (103 km) of standard-gauge route, making it the most extensive light rail system in the United Kingdom. Over the 2022/23 financial year 36 million passenger journeys were made on the system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bury Interchange</span> Transport hub in Bury, Greater Manchester, England

Bury Interchange is a transport hub in the town of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Opened in 1980, it is the northern terminus of the Manchester Metrolink's Bury Line, which prior to 1992 was a heavy-rail line. It also incorporates a bus station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornbrook tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

Cornbrook tram stop is a tram stop on Greater Manchester's light rail Metrolink system in the Cornbrook area of Manchester, England. It is an interchange station, allowing passenger transfer between the network's Altrincham, Eccles, Airport, Trafford Park and South Manchester lines. The station opened on 6 December 1999 for line transfers and allowed street-level entry and exit to the public from 3 September 2005. It takes its name from Cornbrook Road, between the A56 and Pomona Docks on the Manchester Ship Canal, and was built on what was a Cheshire Lines Committee route to Manchester Central railway station. The stop is one of the most used on the Metrolink network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

Deansgate-Castlefield is a tram stop on Greater Manchester's Metrolink light rail system, on Deansgate in the Castlefield area of Manchester city centre. It opened on 27 April 1992 as G-Mex tram stop, taking its name from the adjacent G-Mex Centre, a concert, conference and exhibition venue; the G-Mex Centre was rebranded as Manchester Central in 2007, prompting the Metrolink stop to be renamed on 20 September 2010. The station underwent redevelopment in 2014–15 to add an extra platform in preparation for the completion of the Second City Crossing in 2016–17.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exchange Quay tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

Exchange Quay is a tram stop on the Eccles Line of Greater Manchester's light rail Metrolink system. It is located in the Salford Quays area, in North West England, and opened on 6 December 1999 as part of Phase 2 of the system's expansion. The stop serves the Exchange Quay office complex and the surrounding area. It is also often used as a stop for Old Trafford football stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anchorage tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

Anchorage tram stop is on the Eccles Line of Greater Manchester's light rail Metrolink system, in the Salford Quays area, in North West England. It opened on 6 December 1999 as part of Phase 2 of the system's expansion, next to The Anchorage skyscraper that was constructed in 1991, and near the terminus of Salford's old Dock 9.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harbour City tram stop</span> Tram stop on the Eccles Line of Greater Manchesters light rail system

Harbour City is a tram stop on the Eccles Line of Greater Manchester's light rail Metrolink system. It is located in the Salford Quays area, in North West England, and opened on 6 December 1999 as part of Phase 2 of the system's expansion. The two platforms of this tram stop are staggered. The outbound platform is about 50 metres away from the inbound platform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salford Quays tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

Salford Quays tram stop is a stop on Greater Manchester's light rail Metrolink system. It is located beside Salford Quays, on Metrolink's Eccles Line. It opened as part of Phase 2 of the system's expansion, on 6 December 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadway tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

Broadway is a tram stop on the Eccles Line of Greater Manchester's light rail Metrolink system. It opened to passengers on 6 December 1999 as part of Phase 2 of the network's expansion, and is located in the Salford Quays area of the City of Salford, in North West England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langworthy tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

Langworthy is a tram stop on the Eccles Line of Greater Manchester's light rail Metrolink system. It opened to passengers on 21 July 2000, as part of Phase 2 of the network's expansion, in the Langworthy area of Salford, in North West England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ladywell tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

Ladywell is a tram stop on the Eccles Line of Greater Manchester's light rail Metrolink system. It is located in the Weaste area of the City of Salford, in North West England, and opened on 21 July 2000 as part of Phase 2 of the system's expansion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MediaCityUK tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

MediaCityUK tram stop is a stop on the Manchester Metrolink light rail system. It is located in MediaCityUK, in Salford. The stop serves MediaCityUK, The Lowry, the Imperial War Museum North and other parts of Salford Quays. It is at the end of a short spur from the Eccles Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Manchester Metrolink</span>

The history of Manchester Metrolink begins with its conception as Greater Manchester's light rail system in 1982 by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, and spans its inauguration in 1992 and the successive phases of expansion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Trafford Centre tram stop</span> Manchester Metrolink tram stop

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Langworthy is an area of Salford, Greater Manchester. Weaste lies to the west of Langworthy and Pendleton to the east. In 2001 the population of Langworthy was 7,104, increasing to 12,935 at the 2011 Census. It was named after Edward Ryley Langworthy, a former mayor of Salford.

This timeline lists significant events in the history of Greater Manchester's light rail network called the Manchester Metrolink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altrincham Line</span> Manchester Metrolink line

The Altrincham Line is a tram line of the Manchester Metrolink running from Manchester to Altrincham in Greater Manchester. Originally a railway line, it was, along with the Bury Line, converted into a tramway during 1991–92, as part of the first phase of the Metrolink system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proposed developments of Manchester Metrolink</span> Development of Manchester Metrolink light rail system

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zone 1 (Manchester Metrolink)</span>

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References

  1. "Salford Quays Milestones: The Story of Salford Quays" (PDF). Salford City Council. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 GMPTE 2000.
  3. 1 2 3 4 GMPTE 2003, p. 10.
  4. 1 2 Kessell, Clive (30 November 2011). "Manchester Metrolink 20 Years of Evolution". The Rail Engineer. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  5. "Manchester Metrolink, United Kingdom". railway-technology.com. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  6. Ward, David (2 August 2004). "Tram fury rattles ministers". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  7. GMPTE 2003, p. 13.
  8. "Whistle-stop Princess takes home hat souvenir". Manchester Evening News. 9 January 2001. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  9. "Metrolink trams pull in to MediaCityUK station for first time". Manchester Evening News. 20 September 2010. Archived from the original on 23 September 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  10. Cox, Charlotte (27 June 2016). "Commuters face first full day of disruption as Eccles Metrolink line is closed for two months".
  11. "Transport for Greater Manchester tram times". TfGM. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  12. 1 2 "T68 and T68a — Metrolink phase 1 and 2". Light Rail Transit Association. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.

Bibliography

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