Manchester Metrolink

Manchester Metrolink (or usually just  Metrolink) is the name of the tram system in Greater Manchester, England. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), which used to be called the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive. It is operated under contract by KeolisAmey Metrolink.

History
The construction of Manchester's railway network in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries created many termini around the City Centre, which were not connected. This left large areas of Manchester disconnected from the railway network.

For many years, there were plans to connect Manchester's two main railway stations: Piccadilly and Victoria. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a plan for a "Picc-Vic tunnel" was proposed to carry main-line trains under the city centre. publicity brochure However, the project was abandoned due to high costs.

Metrolink was later created by converting two British Rail lines—one to Altrincham (south) and another to Bury (north)—into a light rail system. These lines were linked through the city centre, where trams run on the streets, and included a short branch to Piccadilly railway station. This first section of the system opened in 1992, and a line to Eccles followed in 2001.

Numerous extensions have since opened, with more being built or proposed. Metrolink now serves Didsbury, Ashton-under-Lyne, Oldham, Rochdale, MediaCityUK, and Manchester Airport. These expansions increased the system’s length from 37 km to 97 km with 99 stops.

In 2017, a second city centre route opened, serving Exchange Square, followed by a new line to the Trafford Centre shopping mall. Plans are also in place for tram-train lines to Stockport and other locations in Greater Manchester. By 2040, the network is expected to double in size.

Lines and stops

+ List of all Metrolink lines, operating times and stops Colour  Route  Operating hours Altrincham–
Bury 
via Market Street Mon–Sat daytime Altrincham–
Piccadilly Mon–Sun allday Altrincham–
Etihad Campus
via Piccadilly  Ashton-under-Lyne–
Eccles
(via
MediaCityUK) Mon–Sun allday  Etihad Campus–
MediaCityUK
via Piccadilly Mon–Sat daytime  Bury–Piccadilly Mon–Sun allday East Didsbury–
Rochdale Town Centre
via Exchange Square and Oldham Mon–Sun allday  East Didsbury–
Shaw and Crompton 
via Exchange Square Mon–Sat daytime  The Trafford Centre–
Deansgate-Castlefield Mon–Sun allday  Manchester Airport–
Victoria 
via Market Street Mon–Sun allday 

References

Category:1992 establishments in England
Category:Electric railways in the United Kingdom
Category:Greater Manchester
Category:Light rail in the United Kingdom
Category:Rail transport in England
Category:Tram transport in the United Kingdom