Tram disruption explained as works begin in city

Several trams have stopped operating in Manchester city centre as £150m worth of improvement works begin.

Metrolink services are not running via Piccadilly Gardens so that older sections of tram tracks can be replaced, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said.

It comes as the city prepares to host major events in the summer including Parklife Festival and Oasis.

We have compiled a list of everything you need to know regarding the disruption including alternative routes and reasons behind the works.

From 3 June to end of service on Sunday 10 August, no tram services will run via Piccadilly Gardens.

Trams on the Altrincham and Bury lines will not serve Piccadilly Gardens or Piccadilly.

All trams from Ashton and Etihad Campus will all terminate at Piccadilly.

Meanwhile the MediaCityUK – Etihad Campus peak time services will also not run during these works.

Normal tram services will resume on 11 August.

Track replacement is part of a planned £150m package to maintain, upgrade and improve the Metrolink network up to 2027, TfGM said.

Ian Davies, interim Metrolink network director, said some sections of the track which were being replaced between Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly Station dated back 30 years.

"This is a really big deal," he told the BBC.

"It is a significant piece of engineering work because some of that track has been down there for a long time.

"There are approximately 300 tram movements across there in each direction every single day. We do need to replace it."

Damien Chabas, managing director of KeolisAmey Metrolink, said without the improvement works the tram tracks would eventually "make the network unsafe".

He said: "We run a tram on average every six minutes on those tracks, some are single and some are double trams so they put a lot of pressure onto the asset, the tracks, the points.

"They have been into the ground for a number of years and now they need to be replaced before they reach safety critical measures."

Mr Davies said 69 events would take place during the 68-day disruption but Metrolink was "trying to make sure we have enough capacity across the network to move all of those people to where they need to be."

Alternative routes include:

• Trams on the Altrincham and Bury lines will run between Altrincham and Bury via Market Street
• Eccles services (via MediaCityUK) will run to Victoria via Market Street
• There will be extra double trams on the Eccles – Victoria via MediaCityUK service
• A signposted walking route will be in place between the Market Street, Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly stops: including a wheelchair accessible free bus 1 and 2 services, or replacement bus service running outside usual free bus operating times

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.