# Metrolink Expansion - Chorlton, Manchester



## Fez909 (May 7, 2008)

"Due to start in weeks" 

I always thought the tram system in Manchester was a bit shit.  It hardly goes anywhere!  But the next phase is finally kicking into action, according to that link above, and Chorlton should have a line up and running within two years.  Apparently more lines planned to Didsbury, on top of the other approved lines in Droylsden etc., too.  Great stuff!


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## Crispy (May 7, 2008)

This is effectively re-opening railways that were chopped up by beeching - they're really obvious when you view them on gmaps v.


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## Balbi (May 7, 2008)

trains and railways FTW.

The old narrow gauge lines west of glasgows have been turned into cycle paths. 

That's good that is. They're good routes, they had a lot - an awesome amount of work put into them. They should be used


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## Refused as fuck (May 7, 2008)

If they'd carried out the planned extension to Stockport while I lived there I would have used it all the time. The irony is that as a schoolkid I signed a petition against it because they'd have to build it through our local park.


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## Fledgling (May 9, 2008)

Getting it to Stockport would be good for me too should I wish to go to Didsbury or Chorlton (which doesn't happen but I like the idea that I can if I want). It'll take years though for the Didsbury extension, let alone Stockport. You have to understand that Metrolink's an entirely poltical affair. You'd think Didsbury would be the first place to put a tram down, or even down Oxford Road to capture the lucrative student route. Or even the Trafford Centre.  Course not, they plan one to Droylsden*. 

http://www.gmltp.co.uk/pdfs/GMLTP01_02to05_06/metmapfut_14.pdf 

That would be impressive. I quite like the tram, had to take it out to Trafford today.


*Nowt wrong with Droylsden, just think there's more profitable routes.


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## Fez909 (May 9, 2008)

Fledgling said:


> *Nowt wrong with Droylsden, just think there's more profitable routes.


 
Whilst I am very happy that Chorlton is getting the extension, I think it should go elsewhere first. The 'more profitable' argument is the worst kind of justification for a planned route. It should go where it is most needed. Chorlton is very well served by buses. Oxford Road to Didsbury is the busiest bus route in Europe. The expansion is not needed there as much as elsewhere.

I support its extension _everywhere_, of course.


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## moose (May 9, 2008)

It was supposed to be starting in weeks when I lived there, 13 years ago


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## Lo Siento. (May 10, 2008)

the tram's always too packed to use regularly. And why do these things always go to the nice parts of town, eh?


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## Fledgling (May 10, 2008)

Fez909 said:


> Whilst I am very happy that Chorlton is getting the extension, I think it should go elsewhere first. The 'more profitable' argument is the worst kind of justification for a planned route. It should go where it is most needed. Chorlton is very well served by buses. Oxford Road to Didsbury is the busiest bus route in Europe. The expansion is not needed there as much as elsewhere.
> 
> I support its extension _everywhere_, of course.



But if a route is profitable surely that implies that a lot of people are using it and thus there is a large demand/need? If trams were put down Oxford Road then it would no longer be the busiest bus route. If you build a more profitable route you are more likely to get funding for future extensions. I've no problem rolling it out all over the city but Didsbury and the Oxford Rd corridor is a lucrative market. Of course it might not be feasible to run trams down there but it does seem a sure bet in getting custom and worth considering.


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## Crispy (May 10, 2008)

The first priority for public transport in cities should be to replace trips being made by car.


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## Mr T (May 11, 2008)

If the Metrolink was extended down Oxford Road it would probably induce further fare-cuts from the existing operators trying to compete with it to keep their businesses going, which could make it unprofitable and therefore less likely for further extensions to be approved in the future.  Sheffield Supertram wasn't profitable for several years after it opened, because rather than realigning their services to feed the tram route, the bus operators undercut it.  Whereas in Nottingham where the bus company is still owned by the council, they changed all the bus routes in preparation for when the tram opened, to provide feeder services.  The nature of the competition between buses on the Oxford Road-Piccadilly route - in my limited experience of them - is that they keep cutting fares to attract more of the student market and I don't think GMPTE would want to spend loads of cash to put a tram into that equation too.


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## Part 2 (May 12, 2008)

Lo Siento. said:


> the tram's always too packed to use regularly. And why do these things always go to the nice parts of town, eh?



Old Trafford, Eccles, Cheetham Hill, Crumpsall, Salford, Bess oth Barn, Whitefield, Prestwich, Radcliffe....all the nice parts of town 

The only place the tram should go in South Manchester is to Wythenshawe, I meet too many kids there who've never seen Manchester centre.


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## Crispy (May 12, 2008)

Wythemshawe is one of the major destinations for this expansion. There's a big loop which takes in the town center, bus station, the airport and the hospital.


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## Part 2 (May 12, 2008)

*returns from reading links

If they build all that it will great

Still need to get some cycle carriages though.


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## Fez909 (May 13, 2008)

Part2 said:


> *returns from reading links
> 
> If they build all that it will great
> 
> Still need to get some cycle carriages though.



I'm all for more cycle provisions, but are they really necessary on the trams?  Trams, to me, are like buses: for large amounts of small journeys.  Why would you need to take a cycle on a tram?  It's only ~7 miles from Altrincham, ~9 miles from Bury, and ~5 miles from Eccles - the three furthest out stations - which shouldn't be too much of a problem to do on a bike.  Would there be demand for this space?


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## UTJF (May 15, 2008)

Unfortunately most of the future planned routes won't happen unless the GM councils can agree on introducing congestion charging.


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## Yelkcub (May 15, 2008)

Ahh, Chorlton. Accomodating Satanist German Techno DJ girls* and now trams - perfect!

(See previous Chorlton thread)


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## Fledgling (May 15, 2008)

Surprised they want to roll it out to Wythenshawe, apart from the airport loop it seems totally unjustified. Better to go to Didsbury, Cheadle, Stockport, even perhaps electrify the Marple line, this would tap the middle class commuting areas which is probably a better approach. Maybe they will eventually. That map's pretty good, have to say the Trafford centre one would be useful but I doubt they'll build it becase it takes shoppers away from the centre.


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## Crispy (May 15, 2008)

Fledgling said:


> That map's pretty good, have to say the Trafford centre one would be useful but I doubt they'll build it becase it takes shoppers away from the centre.



This is precisely the reason why there's no tram in Bristol. There's a perfect route for it to take, going through lots of dense residential, with shopping and working destinations at either end.

BUT. The out of town shopping is in Gloucester, and the city centre is in Bristol. So they can't agree on it at all. It'll never happen until there's a Greater Bristol Authority or TFL-style transport overlord.


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## Refused as fuck (May 15, 2008)

Also that map must be a bit old as it's still got "Manchester City FC" in South Manchester. And I can see exactly where the Stockport route cuts through the old park.


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## Fledgling (May 16, 2008)

Stockport's a city of the future, you can even see the tram station there. 

http://www.gmltp.co.uk/gmltp2_html/images/72.jpg

I read somewhere one of the proposed stations would be called Pyramid. Could have been Pyramids but King's Valley never really took off. I remember driving through Stockport telling an uninitiated visitor about the Pyramid lit up at night. "oh, just like Las Vegas then?"


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