Metrolink to / from Etihad

I'm never 100% sure about about the tram from Altrincham and back. It usually works, but it has also failed on too many occasions for me to have total confidence in the service.

The best fail was buying a ticket from the machine at Altrincham station, with a young lad wearing a metrolink jacket standing nearby. After I'd paid my cash and the ticket dropped down, he very helpfully came over and told me there weren't any trams running.

'What's the bloody use of you telling me that now I've bought a ticket'?'

I've missed two games this season due to cancelled services, admittedly not the direct fault of Metrolink as it was due to strike action by the rail workers that control the signalling along the line somewhere, but only a couple of weeks ago after the early evening game on Saturday, I was stuck for 30 minutes at St Peters Square waiting for a service back to Altrincham.

I have experienced far too many failures to write about individually, but they all add up, and leave me no choice other than to conclude it's a crap system.

I've said it before, but if the London Underground was as pitifully unreliable as Metrolink, questions would be asked in parliament and there would be uproar on the streets.
 
All seemed to work fine post match last night. A constant stream of specials back to Deansgate/ Trafford Bar between the Eccles scheduled trams so kept people moving.
The only weird thing pre match was that the specials were single trams (running Crumpsall to Etihad Campus I believe). Better than nothing I suppose, but single trams are hardly crowdbusters!
 
staffsblue said:
All seemed to work fine post match last night. A constant stream of specials back to Deansgate/ Trafford Bar between the Eccles scheduled trams so kept people moving.
The only weird thing pre match was that the specials were single trams (running Crumpsall to Etihad Campus I believe). Better than nothing I suppose, but single trams are hardly crowdbusters!
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There were specials running Crumpsall to Etihad? Is this a new thing?

I have also just been reading SSC about work being done on the Bury line upgrading the substations and how it should lead to more services, more doubles etc. Probably why you only saw single units as they simply can’t run too much through that line as it currently stands. I’d be happy to catch a tram from Bury into Crumpsall if I could change onto an Etihad tram. At least there’s signs that they’re addressing the problems.
 
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staffsblue said:
Never witnessed it before. Not sure if it was a one off or just because spare drivers and trams were available at Queen's Road.
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Aye probably. The new platform at Crumpsall is probably easier to turn services back. It’s eventful use will be to run services to the Trafford Centre but they’re not able to yet. I can live in hope.
 
Parked at Ashton West. Very quick to the Etihad and the return was quicker than normal.

Problem for me last night was the M56. They've just upgraded it but from the airport jct to A556 jct, it was conned off with just the outside lane open. No warning before hand. Fcucking useless.
 
I just don't understand metrolink at all. The whole idea of running such a system is surely the ease, speed and convenience of getting from A to B. This is particularly true for special events like concerts and sporting occasions. They have four tram services that run into Piccadilly station. The stadium is three stops from there. Now any normal person running this service would allow those trams to carry on to the stadium on matchdays. They can then turn around and do their return journey, except for the Ashton one that carries on. Not metrolink though. Oh no passengers on these trams have to get off and change, often on overcrowded platforms. Madness.
 
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