THE first test of the new Trafford Park tramline has been completed after a £350 million construction project.
A tram followed the route at walking speed and was accompanied along the tracks by a team of engineers who carried out safety checks.
Work started on the new tram line mid 2017 and according to a press release on Travel for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM) website, the last bit of concrete was poured on November 5 near ITV Studios marking the end of the construction.
According to a communications officer from TfGM: “There are six new stops and 5.5km of new track, so there was a lot of preparation and planning to be done, involving many areas of TfGM and partner organisations including contractors and local businesses.”
They went on to add that another aim of the new tram line is to make it easier for members of the public to travel as well as cut down on traffic congestion saying: “Metrolink is one of the most environmentally friendly forms of transport and by choosing to travel by tram, people will be helping to reduce air pollution and improve air quality.
“The new line will have a range of benefits; Trafford Park is a huge area for retail, leisure and business so will be enabling people to get there quickly and easily, and leaving the car at home, Metrolink will provide a boost to regional regeneration and economic growth.”
Councillor Mark Aldred, who chairs Greater Manchester Transport committee, said: “The development of the Trafford Park line is excellent news for Greater Manchester, and I’m delighted to see it progressing with the start of tram testing.”
The line starts at Crumpsall Station going through town and reaching Pomona where it diverts onto the new track which terminates at the Trafford Centre. The new stops are Wharfside, Imperial War Museum North, Village, Parkway, Event City and the Trafford Centre.
Here are some members of the public’s views on the new tram line:
Danny Vaughan, Transport for Greater Manchester Head of Metrolink, stated: “We’ve still got quite some way to go, but things are progressing very well and people can expect to start seeing a few more trams running up and down the line over the coming weeks and months ahead of the line opening in the first half of 2020.”
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