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This timeline lists significant events in the history of Greater Manchester's light rail network called the Manchester Metrolink.
1960s
1968
The Transport Act 1968 sets out terms under which passenger transport executives and passenger transport authorities are to be formed to co-ordinate and operate public transport in the United Kingdom's six largest conurbations outside London.[1]
1969
SELNEC PTE (South East Lancashire North East Cheshire Passenger Transport Executive) is established on 1 November 1969 with reference to the Transport Act 1968 to improve public transport in Manchester and its surrounding municipalities.[2]
The Greater Manchester County Council publishes its structure plan in January 1974,[7] acknowledging its obligation to provide "an integrated and efficient system of public transport".[8]
Unable to secure funding from the government,[11] the Greater Manchester County Council abandons plans for the Picc-Vic tunnel on economic grounds.[12][10]
1980s
1982
GMPTE conclude that an over-ground metropolitan light rail system to replace or complement the region's under-used heavy railways is the most economical solution to improving Greater Manchester's public transport network.[8]
1983
As part of its proposals for light rail, GMPTE suggest that the Oldham Loop Line be re-routed and extended with on-street tramways through Oldham and Rochdale town centres.[13]
The Greater Manchester County Council purchases a disused section of the Cheshire Lines Committee railway between Chorlton-cum-Hardy and Didsbury for £1, hoping to stop development along the route and preserve it for use with a future light rail network.[14]
1984
A Rail Study Group composed of officials from British Rail, Greater Manchester County Council and GMPTE, formally endorse a light rail system for Greater Manchester.[8]
Proposals are released for a 62-mile network consisting of three lines between: Altrincham-Hadfield, Bury-Marple and Rochdale-East Didsbury.
1985
The Local Government Act 1985 receives Royal Assent on 16 July 1985, stating that "the Greater London Council; and the metropolitan county councils" shall cease to exist.[citation needed]
1986
The Greater Manchester County Council is abolished on 31 March 1986 under the Local Government Act 1985. GMPTE becomes a joint-board of the ten district councils of Greater Manchester.[2]
GMPTE propose that Greater Manchester's light rail system include a line to Salford Quays to complement the regeneration of the Manchester Docks.[15][16]
The contract to design, build, maintain and operate Metrolink is formally signed on 6 June 1990.[24]
Legal authority to construct a Metrolink line to Salford Quays is acquired.[15][16]
1991
The Bury Line between Manchester and Bury is closed in stages between 13 July 1991 and 17 August 1991. Its 1200 V DC third rail electrified line is adapted for a 750 V DC overhead line operation.[25]
1992
6 April 1992: Metrolink begins its first passenger service on a route between Victoria–Bury.[26][27]
27 April 1992: Metrolink services expand beyond Victoria–G-Mex (now Deansgate-Castlefield) through a street-running section via Market Street and St Peter's Square.[27]
17 July 1992: Elizabeth II declares Metrolink open at a ceremony in Manchester, stating that Metrolink would "improve communication" between northern and southern Greater Manchester.[28][27][29] A plaque is shown on the northern end of St Peter's Square Platform C.
A public consultation and public inquiry result in government endorsement of a Metrolink line to Salford Quays in 1994.[25][15][16]
1995
In autumn 1995 a 4-mile (6.4 km) Metrolink line branching from the to-be-built Cornbrook tram stop to Eccles via Salford Quays is confirmed as Phase 2 of Metrolink.[25][15][16]
1997
April 1997: Altram, a consortium of the Serco, Gio. Ansaldo & C. and John Laing is appointed to construct the Eccles line; Serco takes on responsibility to operate and maintain the whole network under contract.[15][16][30]
Serco Metrolink, a wholly owned subsidiary of Serco Limited, take over the operations and maintenance of Metrolink on 26 May 1997.[31]
The Eccles Line is officially opened as far as Broadway tram stop on 6 December 1999 by Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who praises Metrolink as "exactly the type of scheme needed to solve the transport problems of the metropolitan areas of the country".[32][33]
2000s
2000
Services from Broadway to Eccles Interchange join the network on 21 July 2000, completing Phase 2.[25][15]
8 November 2005: A near miss occurs between two track workers and a tram; the tram ran over track maintenance equipment.[37]
2006
22 March 2006: T-68 tram #1011 bound for Altrincham (from Bury) exiting Victoria derails just before getting onto the street on Long Millgate at 08:03, as a result of a track defect. After the derailment, the tram travelled an extra 44 metres before stopping. 0.6m of track was damaged, and services were suspended on the Bury Line. The track repairs took place at 17:00, and normal service resumed the following day.[35]
20 May 2006: A person becomes trapped under a Metrolink vehicle, causing a three-hour delay on the system.[37]
May 2009: Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (formerly GMPTA) and AGMA agree to create the Greater Manchester Transport Fund, £1.5billion raised from a combination of a levy on council tax in Greater Manchester, government grants, contributions from the Manchester Airports Group, Metrolink fares and third-party funding for "major transport schemes" in the region.[47][20]
3 October 2009: The last Oldham Loop Line train leaves Manchester Victoria at 23:28 and closes for conversion from heavy rail to Metrolink.[48][49]
21 December 2009: Following test runs in November, the first new M5000 tram enters service.
2010s
2010
8 March 2010: Phase 3b is approved with funding on a line-by-line basis.[50]
30 July 2010: The £1.5 billion Phase 3b funding is completed.[51]
13 June 2012: Services from Victoria to the temporary Oldham Mumps stop (on the former railway trackbed) commence.
25 November 2012: On the Airport Line, a bridge over the M56 motorway, north of Hollyhedge Road in Wythenshawe, is installed (overnight 24/25 Nov).[58]
28 February 2013: Phase 3a is completed with the extension of services along the Oldham and Rochdale Line from Shaw and Crompton and Rochdale Railway Station. Metrolink becomes 43 miles (69 km) in system length.[65][66]
18 May 2013: The last tram to leave Mosley Street tram stop was 3018 on a service to Altrincham at 00:55. The stop closed as part of a plan to remove a bottleneck in Manchester city centre.[67]
31 July 2013: A man walks in front of a tram at Freehold. Paramedics pronounce him dead at the scene.[71]
1 August 2013: A car collides with a tram on Mosley Street in Manchester city centre.[72]
3 August 2013: Tram 3056, which was not in service, derails at the entrance to Queens Road depot.[73]
19 August 2013: The Institute of Economic Affairs publishes its appraisal of High Speed 2, raising concerns that the high-speed railway will require indirect taxpayer funding by way of providing additional or enhanced infrastructure to integrate it with local transport systems. It cites Metrolink as an example of a system that would require modification to accommodate HS2 in Manchester.[74]
13 January 2019: New Metrolink ticket zones 1-4 launched.
20 March 2019: Near Altrincham tram stop in the afternoon, the Bombardier M5000 Metrolink vehicle 3006 becomes the first of the Metrolink's vehicles to have travelled a total of 1,000,000 km since being put into service.[96]
15 July 2019: New "touch-in, touch-out" contactless payment method launched (adult fares only).[97]
27 July 2021: As over 20% of the Metrolink's workforce was off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the enhanced service routes that operate during peak times to increase capacity (Altrincham–Bury, Shaw–East Didsbury etc.) could not do so, which forced the Metrolink to instead operate a Sunday service. Furthermore, as these extra services usually begin to leave the two depots after 6am, and more drivers called in sick, 'minor delays' were experienced on multiple lines from 7am: Altrincham, Oldham and Rochdale, and South Manchester. This was also happening alongside engineering works on the Eccles Line.[101]
9 December 2023: Due to a piece of tarp on the overhead lines at Market Street, no services operated through Market Street or Shudehill from around 17:30. Services set to run through these stops were rerouted via Exchange Square. The Bury–Piccadilly route could not be rerouted, however, and this route was reduced to Bury–Victoria. The pantograph of tram fleet #3061, which was supposedly bound for Manchester Airport (unknown whether it was a double tram or single tram service) got caught in the tarp upon approaching Market Street.[103] Furthermore, at around 20:00, services through Firswood tram stop operated at a greatly reduced speed due to a fallen tree on the overhead lines.[103] In a similar incident, explosions were seen on overhead wires near Manchester Piccadilly railway station, as well as another fallen tree, and no trains could run through there and Manchester Oxford Road from around 21:00.[103] Yet another fallen tree causes disruption between Hollinwood and Shaw and Crompton stops at around 21:40. These closures cause significant delays on the Pink and Grey routes (East Didsbury–Rochdale and East Didsbury–Shaw respectively).[103]
14 April 2024: The Metrolink's highest ever Sunday ridership was recorded at over 175,000 on the day of the Manchester Marathon. The previous record was around 145,000, set in 2023.[105]
Docherty, Iain; Shaw, Jon (20 July 2011). A New Deal for Transport: The UK's struggle with the sustainable transport agenda. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN978-1-4443-5551-2.
Donald, T.; Cross, M.; Bristow, Roger (1983). English Structure Planning. Routledge. ISBN0-85086-094-6.
Fawcett, Paul (2000). Managing Passenger Logistics: The Comprehensive Guide to People and Transport. Kogan Page Publishers. ISBN978-0-7494-3214-0.
Frangopulo, Nicholas Joseph (1977). Tradition in action: the historical evolution of the Greater Manchester County. EP Publishing. ISBN0-7158-1203-3.
GMPTE (2000). Metrolink, Transforming Our Future: A Network for the 21st Century. Manchester: GMPTE Promotions.