Metrolink

[nmc]

Don't use it then..take the bus..which is infinitely worse

Metrolink is the biggest network in the UK and one of the biggest in Europe..it's not perfect..but show me a public transport system that is in this country

As a driver I have my fair share of gripes..but in general it's a decent enough mode of transport

For those asking about anti social behaviour

Was a time up until a couple of months ago that the Rochdale line was a war zone in the evening..like lord of the flies..to a lesser extent Ashton and the airport line

Now we have a huge presence of an evening in the trouble spots..I feel a lot more safe (a driver was nearly killed when a boulder was thrown through his window near Shaw)

We have Travel Safe Officers..special police as well as Palladium security and our own inspectors travelling the lines until the early hours of the morning..but they can't be everywhere all of the time

It's not perfect..but as a frequent bus user before I joined metrolink..it could be a lot worse

IBH I'm not having a pop at you and it's good that you are defending Metrolink as an employee. I tend to walk these days if I'm in Manchester - you are right the bus service is terrible. I guess I had really high hopes for the Metrolink and it's just not delivered thus far - on match days it always seems the system doesn't have the capacity to cope - too few Trams and some of them single units - I know match days aren't typical but it's when the majority on here (including me) form our opinions. I used to work in Koln and the system there was brilliant - everything Metrolink isn't but I guess that's a system that's had long term investment 60 or 70 years; so maybe it's a little unfair to compare.

 

[frothy]

Not lived here long so not sure about s/c
I can get a train to ashburys on the way to the game, really easy and takes minutes but had problems on a crowded platform the one time I used it to get back, was worse then a metro platform and ended up with a old guy falling on the tracks with a few seconds before a train came through (lucky escape for him a few blues jumped down and dragged him off the tracks ) and then got on the wrong train as I didn't realise the track split at gorton :-( woukdent fancy using a bus to get back in a school night tbh

My brother lives in gee cross and sometimes goes with Bredbury s/c leaves is car at the crown

 

[BrianW]

Metrolink is great when it works and it isn't busy. Like a leaky roof is great when it's sunny.

I have to agree though, the buses are worse. I think they are managed by Chipperfields. Maybe one day we will get a Government that is interested in providing decent public transport to people who live more than 25 miles from Nelson's Column.

 

[BLUEMATT23]

We used to get the tram in from Ashton until we were crushed on a tram after the first home game last season. Since then we use justpark and drive to the estate opposite the Etihad and park on someone's drive. What a difference.

If ever their was a crash nobody would stand a chance. In the era of health and safety overload it's unbelievable that they are allowed to pack them in so much yet the cronies in charge regularly put single trams on at rush hour. I regularly complained about this. I stick by what I say the service is shocking and I gave up on it and glad I did.

 

[Saddleworth2]

If ever their was a crash nobody would stand a chance. In the era of health and safety overload it's unbelievable that they are allowed to pack them in so much yet the cronies in charge regularly put single trams on at rush hour. I regularly complained about this. I stick by what I say the service is shocking and I gave up on it and glad I did.

The Metro people I complained to were quite happy to admit they don't monitor numbers on the platform and can't control how many actually get into a single tram. Recipe for disaster. Maybe someone will take notice when someone is injured or worse.

 

[Pablo ZZZ Peroni]

I suffer with anxiety and got stuck on the tram coming back from a evening game last year, some dick in a van had parked up on a pavement ashton bound and the tram couldn't get past, was crammed on for what seemed like a age and had no way of getting off, think I only had a couplee of minutes left in me befour I'd have forced my way off the tram had it not started moving again, it's a terrible service to ashton after the game as it is it's just not fit for purpose.
Iv not been able to attend a game as yet this year with work and I'm dreading doing the journey for the champions league game or palace which ever comes 1st
SaId at the end of last year I need to find alternative as I'm sick of having to leave early to get of the car park and now see there are tighter parking restrictions in place, God knows what the best option is from Hyde area to the game and back again with a 11 year old in toe,
Wonder if anybody on here saw or used the private bus service that was advertised, was running from marple through Stockport but had a Hyde Denton service as well as some services from the other side of the city. Can't for the life of me think what it was called ??

Denton on here:

https://zeelo.co/#/zeelos/14758

 

[manchester blue]

Mate, I used to use the metro in from Ashton and back every home game. Last season my wife and I were crushed so badly on the tram, we had to get off at the velodrome stop. I have used the tube extensively and never experienced anything like it. I complained to metrolink as a result and they admitted that the monitoring of numbers on the platform was inadequate and that there is no way they can police the number of customers getting on to a tram, which was the problem in this case. Neither could they organise double trams after the game to get through the immediate after game surge. We now drive to matches. Shame because I would have preferred to use public transport.

There has to be a supplementary question of why they cannot monitor the number of people on a tram, Are they waiting for a disaster, like Croydon, before they take action? I'm sure they would have to then. And why can they not run double trams? Seems logical to a layperson.

 

[nmc]

There has to be a supplementary question of why they cannot monitor the number of people on a tram, Are they waiting for a disaster, like Croydon, before they take action? I'm sure they would have to then. And why can they not run double trams? Seems logical to a layperson.

I quit using the team some time ago and walk into town after games - you notice a few things as you walk Up to town:
1) after a game why are the majority of trams going towards the Etihad from town ? Shouldn't they be going the other way?
2) why are so many single teams being utilised?
3) some of the trams do look dangerous - overly full with peoples faces pressed against the glass - heaven forbid if there's was an incident - there'd be some serious questions about the unsafe overloading of trams.
4) the club don't seem to take any interest in Metrolink and the poor quality of service it provides
5) the numbers walking and driving back to town dwarf the numbers taking the tram despite the overcrowding - which suggests public transport is failing badly

 

[blue by birth]

I'm a tram driver and most of you are chatting shit ;-)

Yeah we have the odd fuck up but most of the time it's a 6 minute service to anywhere in Greater Manchester..I know because I drive it

Sometimes at the weekend there are 'shutdowns' in and around the city centre for essential maintenance work on the tracks..but we will always run services around that..last Saturday was a little different as a tram derailed (driver error) on Aytoun Street in the morning which was the cause of the disruption

We've just been taken over by Keolis/Amey and they are certainly making the right noises regarding much needed infrastructure upgrades etc..so hopefully they will follow it through

Bollocks To us chatting shit...I use the metro to get back to Ashton after games and it's a fucking joke.
They put single units on when it's obvious they need doubles...crammed in like sardines and if there was ever an accident people would be fucked because there is no chance of escaping.
The service isn't fit for purpose...ask most fans who use it regularly mate.

 

[IanBishopsHaircut]

Bollocks To us chatting shit...I use the metro to get back to Ashton after games and it's a fucking joke.
They put single units on when it's obvious they need doubles...crammed in like sardines and if there was ever an accident people would be fucked because there is no chance of escaping.
The service isn't fit for purpose...ask most fans who use it regularly mate.

Metrolink put far more doubles on for match day than a normal working week on the Etihad-Altrincham line and the Ashton-Eccles line..which is normally a single unit line

There are obviously singles working the line too at any given time

Listen..I'm not some company suck up..I'm actually a strong union man who raises concerns often when justified

It's exactly the same over the road when them lot play

I think the only way to stop overcrowding is to segregate the platform completely on a match day and have staff stopping people from boarding

But you always get ****s trying to push on

Match day is extraordinary circumstances and stretches the service to the limit..I was more commenting on Metrolink as a whole