Part of Metrolink's Eccles line to close for rail replacement works

Wednesday, 28 June 2023 15:45

By David Murphy

Two tram stops on Metrolink’s Eccles line will close for 10 weeks to allow for major rail replacement work to take place.

From Saturday 15th July to Thursday 21^st September, track renewal work will be carried out on Eccles New Road which will result in the closure of Eccles and Ladywell tram stops. Services will continue to operate as normal between Weaste and the city centre, as well as the MediaCityUK and Trafford Park Metrolink lines,

A fully accessible bus replacement service will also run to take passengers between Weaste and Eccles, serving Ladywell, for onward journeys. Signed pedestrian walking routes will be in place and customer service staff will be present to help passengers. More information can be found online.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM) regularly carry out maintenance, repairs and renewal to track, overheard wires and other equipment to improve the travelling experience and service for customers.

Work has previously been carried out on the Eccles line in 2021 and 2022 to replace sections of worn rail along the line, which first opened 22 years ago. A total of 1.7km of worn rails will be replaced as part of the latest phase.

Undertaking the repairs over the summer and early autumn will ensure that as much work as possible is completed and reduced the need to close the line for longer in the future.

Danny Vaughan, TfGM’s Head of Metrolink, said: “I’d like to apologise to customers for any inconvenience these works will cause.It is, however, essential to do to keep our services safe into the future.

“It will be the final summer of rail replacement for some years, and this year we will be running trams all the way to Weaste from the city centre, in order to minimise disruption.”

Dedicated travel advice and information can be found on TfGM's website. For any other queries prior to, or during the course of, these engineering works, contact the TfGM Customer Relations team at customer.relations@tfgm.com or by calling 0161 244 1000.

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