Metrolink to / from Etihad

[LongsightM13]

Absolutely shambolic already today, everything pretty much full before Cornbrook, Eccles line dumping everone out there to change

 

[Maccblue]

Topical teeshirts
For a Liverpool
Fan fact !

 

[Northerndave]

I doubt rational people select the tram for 2-stop travel between the City centre and the Etihad stadium.

It's 3 stops and an almost 30 min walk, so yep. most rational people do select it...and it's not fit for purpose

 

[East Level 2]

The tram line was (eventually) built to service 35-40k people. Since then we have added another 15k, soon to be more.
The council have placed parking restrictions all over the area as they want to encourage people to use public transport and yet didn't improve the tram.
The club and other business partners built a huge concert arena at the same tram stop ...... but didn't improve the tram service.
Further, it isn't about the 20-25 minute walk back into town. Once there try getting on a tram. I managed it on Wednesday from Peters Square but it left Blues and other users behind as it was rammed. From then on it was a struggle for people to get on at Deasgate and Cornbrook.
I know London clubs have a problem, that doesn't mean we have to accept our shite service.
All we want is for them to run a sensible system. Doubles on match days that don't terminate (going) at Piccadilly and extra trams coming back.

The capacity was 48,000 when the ground opened and the tram line opened about ten years later.

 

[Gray]

The capacity was 48,000 when the ground opened and the tram line opened about ten years later.

Yes in those days it was a tram to the gardens and a bus (or walk) to the stadium. It was fine going to the game but utter carnage after the match, the bus queues were horrendous and the traffic on Every Street was sheer bedlam.

 

[paulchapo]

Absolutely shambolic already today, everything pretty much full before Cornbrook, Eccles line dumping everone out there to change

I had the misfortune to miss the match day bus from Altrincham yesterday so i had to catch the tram to the ground, something i try to avoid at all costs these days. At least on a Sunday they do go directly to the ground thankfully. A tram had just left so i had a 15-20 minutes wait until the next one. By the time it arrived the platform was already packed. Luckily i got a seat at the back but by the time we left Altrincham it was standing room only. Very few people seemed to get off along the way, just more people crowding onto an already full tram. The tram left Altrincham about 14:45 so there was still 1 hour 45 minutes to kick off. Even though i had a seat it was still a very claustrophobic and unpleasant experience.
Well done to the drunken loud bellends who got on at Saint Peters square I think and were aggressively shouting at people, particularly two women, to move down the tram, when there was nowhere to move to. Eventually a few blokes stood against the wall shouted "We're almost in the drivers cab mate we can't go any further!" so they shut up.
All in all it was a miserable hours journey and i had a seat, i felt sorry for the poor sods standing up.
I have no idea what the solution is but its obvious on a match day the service is struggling to cope. Maybe increasing the frequency of trams, particularly in the peak two hour window before and after kick off if possible? Yesterday they were just running to a Sunday service when there was 55,000 football fans to move around, as well as your normal shoppers etcetera. It just wasn't good enough.

 

[Marvin.]

It's 3 stops and an almost 30 min walk, so yep. most rational people do select it...and it's not fit for purpose

Of course those fans who use it for a journey to the city centre feel that it's not fit for purpose because short-travel is not its purpose. You have to walk to the stop, queue and wait, stand in a cramped carriage, and travel. By the time you've done that, the walkers have beaten you. You get all the negatives and few positives. If you are travelling out to Ashton or Altrincham then it makes sense because then the high speed travel comes into its own.

 

[East Level 2]

Would have been far worse yesterday had it been a 2-00 kick-off; it would have been pissing down at full-time.

 

[Roachy]

As I've said on here before the tram is my method of getting to and from the match. It's becoming a real pain in the arse now and quite honestly a chore. That Alty line is an absolute shocker to and from the matches with some of the others not much better. Get some more bastard trams on that Etihad/Ashton line pre and post match you morons.

 

[Gray]

I have no idea what the solution is but its obvious on a match day the service is struggling to cope. Maybe increasing the frequency of trams, particularly in the peak two hour window before and after kick off if possible? Yesterday they were just running to a Sunday service when there was 55,000 football fans to move around, as well as your normal shoppers etcetera. It just wasn't good enough.

Correct they should increase the frequency especially after the match finishes. Running the Sunday service on a match day just shows that Metrolink don't give a shit about matchgoing football fans.

On the platform at the Etihad after the game it showed a Bury tram due in 12 minute and an Altrincham one due in 14 minutes. They both got down to 1 minute and then after another 3 minutes a Bury tram arrived and drove straight through without stopping. After another 3 minutes the Altrincham tram arrived so in total a 20 minute wait.

It simply isn't good enough the Club should intervene but they don't give a fuck and Metrolink are a bloody disgrace.

 

[paulchapo]

As I've said on here before the tram is my method of getting to and from the match. It's becoming a real pain in the arse now and quite honestly a chore. That Alty line is an absolute shocker to and from the matches with some of the others not much better. Get some more bastard trams on that Etihad/Ashton line pre and post match you morons.

Unless you leave really early its an horrendous experience even if you have a seat. If you're standing its unbearable as more and more people try and push onto an already packed tram. Going home i wouldn't even entertain it. I'd recommend the match day buses. Unless the trams aren't running or are playing up you normally get a seat. Once on it the journey is an hour from Altrincham even with pick ups and traffic and gets you to the stadium an hour before the game. A much more pleasant experience.

 

[paulchapo]

Correct they should increase the frequency especially after the match finishes. Running the Sunday service on a match day just shows that Metrolink don't give a shit about matchgoing football fans.

On the platform at the Etihad after the game it showed a Bury tram due in 12 minute and an Altrincham one due in 14 minutes. They both got down to 1 minute and then after another 3 minutes a Bury tram arrived and drove straight through without stopping. After another 3 minutes the Altrincham tram arrived so in total a 20 minute wait.

It simply isn't good enough the Club should intervene but they don't give a fuck and Metrolink are a bloody disgrace.

In fairness to the club they have provided the match day buses which are a great addition. They will be limited in what input they have with how metrolink run their business.

 

[Gray]

In fairness to the club they have provided the match day buses which are a great addition. They will be limited in what input they have with how metrolink run their business.

Fair point and I used the No.5 bus for the Bournmouth game and couldn't fault it.

 

[DiscoSteve]

According to Google the capacity of a Metrolink Tram (single) is 206 people - lets say about the same as thre buses

Never going to make much of a dent on a five figure number of fans trying to get from/to the stadium, never mind the fact they doesn't go where you want them to half the time

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

Correct they should increase the frequency especially after the match finishes. Running the Sunday service on a match day just shows that Metrolink don't give a shit about matchgoing football fans.

On the platform at the Etihad after the game it showed a Bury tram due in 12 minute and an Altrincham one due in 14 minutes. They both got down to 1 minute and then after another 3 minutes a Bury tram arrived and drove straight through without stopping. After another 3 minutes the Altrincham tram arrived so in total a 20 minute wait.

It simply isn't good enough the Club should intervene but they don't give a fuck and Metrolink are a bloody disgrace.

There is no direct service to Bury from the Etihad except occasionally during maintenance on other parts of the line, so it sounds like they have had to run an empty tram from Piccadilly to the Etihad turn-back and then back to Piccadilly. Probably had a tram in the Piccadilly turn-back.

I know it sounds odd but they do want to provide a service for passengers at Piccadilly and if everyone piled on at the Etihad there’d be no space for them to board at Piccadilly so likely decided it best to run through seeing as there was another “proper” one 3 mins behind.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

I had the misfortune to miss the match day bus from Altrincham yesterday so i had to catch the tram to the ground, something i try to avoid at all costs these days. At least on a Sunday they do go directly to the ground thankfully. A tram had just left so i had a 15-20 minutes wait until the next one. By the time it arrived the platform was already packed. Luckily i got a seat at the back but by the time we left Altrincham it was standing room only. Very few people seemed to get off along the way, just more people crowding onto an already full tram. The tram left Altrincham about 14:45 so there was still 1 hour 45 minutes to kick off. Even though i had a seat it was still a very claustrophobic and unpleasant experience.
Well done to the drunken loud bellends who got on at Saint Peters square I think and were aggressively shouting at people, particularly two women, to move down the tram, when there was nowhere to move to. Eventually a few blokes stood against the wall shouted "We're almost in the drivers cab mate we can't go any further!" so they shut up.
All in all it was a miserable hours journey and i had a seat, i felt sorry for the poor sods standing up.
I have no idea what the solution is but its obvious on a match day the service is struggling to cope. Maybe increasing the frequency of trams, particularly in the peak two hour window before and after kick off if possible? Yesterday they were just running to a Sunday service when there was 55,000 football fans to move around, as well as your normal shoppers etcetera. It just wasn't good enough.

The end stations of the network suffer from passengers arriving from out of the area. Bury is notorious for it. I used to catch a tram daily at 7.30 into town at Radcliffe (the 1st stop after Bury) and never once got a seat because it was already full. There was standing room but the park and ride at Radcliffe attracts drivers from places like Burnley so there were occasions when people at the 3rd stop at Whitefield couldn’t fit on the tram. That’s 8 more stops on the line where it sometimes can’t pick anybody up until it reaches Victoria.

It probably needs services starting midway along the route for those commuters because they probably give up and just use the car, contributing to road traffic and congestion.

 

[Stephen230]

Correct they should increase the frequency especially after the match finishes. Running the Sunday service on a match day just shows that Metrolink don't give a shit about matchgoing football fans.

On the platform at the Etihad after the game it showed a Bury tram due in 12 minute and an Altrincham one due in 14 minutes. They both got down to 1 minute and then after another 3 minutes a Bury tram arrived and drove straight through without stopping. After another 3 minutes the Altrincham tram arrived so in total a 20 minute wait.

It simply isn't good enough the Club should intervene but they don't give a fuck and Metrolink are a bloody disgrace.

I don't know what a normal Sunday service is but I had to get the tram from Piccadilly Station to the game yesterday, which I try and avoid. But one came in after 2 minutes. Jam packed, virtually no-one could get on. But as soon as it left, another one came in, literally one minute behind it. Still very busy obviously but enough room for everyone waiting to squeeze on I think. I noticed another one on the board, showing for 4 minutes after ours. Obviously no idea if that came as advertised. but assuming it did, that was three double trams within about 7 minutes. I highly doubt that is a normal Sunday service.

 

[Saddleworth2]

I had the misfortune to miss the match day bus from Altrincham yesterday so i had to catch the tram to the ground, something i try to avoid at all costs these days. At least on a Sunday they do go directly to the ground thankfully. A tram had just left so i had a 15-20 minutes wait until the next one. By the time it arrived the platform was already packed. Luckily i got a seat at the back but by the time we left Altrincham it was standing room only. Very few people seemed to get off along the way, just more people crowding onto an already full tram. The tram left Altrincham about 14:45 so there was still 1 hour 45 minutes to kick off. Even though i had a seat it was still a very claustrophobic and unpleasant experience.
Well done to the drunken loud bellends who got on at Saint Peters square I think and were aggressively shouting at people, particularly two women, to move down the tram, when there was nowhere to move to. Eventually a few blokes stood against the wall shouted "We're almost in the drivers cab mate we can't go any further!" so they shut up.
All in all it was a miserable hours journey and i had a seat, i felt sorry for the poor sods standing up.
I have no idea what the solution is but its obvious on a match day the service is struggling to cope. Maybe increasing the frequency of trams, particularly in the peak two hour window before and after kick off if possible? Yesterday they were just running to a Sunday service when there was 55,000 football fans to move around, as well as your normal shoppers etcetera. It just wasn't good enough.

and it has been like that for years. We stopped using it after a crush on a tram injured Mrs S. I wrote to them and got all types of assurances that they had plans to improve things and it sounds like nothing has changed. Manchester deserves so much better.

 

[East Level 2]

According to Google the capacity of a Metrolink Tram (single) is 206 people - lets say about the same as thre buses

Never going to make much of a dent on a five figure number of fans trying to get from/to the stadium, never mind the fact they doesn't go where you want them to half the time

Compared to 800 on a six-car Piccadilly Line tube running every three minutes through Arsenal station after games.

 

[mancityvstoke]

Sunday service on the 216...................fuckin idiots.

Get out of your car on to public transport. Yeah ok