Bee Network: Busy Sunday Metrolink trams to Eccles and Media City failing as passenger numbers rise - claim

Coun Paul Heilbron suggested Sunday services to Eccles and Media City are ‘failing’, though TfGM insist ‘there is still plenty of capacity’.

Speaking at a full council meeting last week, the Salford Quays representative claimed passenger numbers had risen by 25 per cent and occupancy on trams ‘regularly runs between 85 to 90 per cent’. As a result, waiting times have also gone up ‘by around ten minutes’, according to Coun Heilbron.

Coun Heilbron said: “These numbers tell us our trams are becoming too crowded which is not comfortable for our community.

“During the week we’re completely fine, we have one of the best lines in the city. We’re very lucky to get a tram every six minutes and a lot of double trams. But on Sunday, the service is failing.”

Coun Mike McCusker, Salford’s cabinet member for transport, acknowledged the numbers ‘are going up’ and promised to raise the issue at the GMCA’s Bee Network committee.

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Coun McCusker responded: “We have the highest number of passengers on trams ever, recently. Increasingly they’re used for major sporting and cultural events to reduce traffic in and out of the city centre.

“The recent change in how funding comes through to Manchester under devolution means we now have more freedom of how that money is allocated. There are proposals for a significant amount of money to go towards supporting the trams to try and address issues such as you’ve raised.”

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said that typically 30 to 80 pc of tram capacity on the Eccles/Media City line is taken up on Sundays.

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Ian Davies, TfGM’s Metrolink network director, said: “We are always working to review capacity and service frequency across the network, including the Eccles/MediaCityUK line, to meet, sustain and continue to grow patronage. We also regularly run double trams to boost capacity on busy lines, particularly when there are major events where we see an increase in passenger numbers.

“Overall, there is still plenty of capacity on the Eccles/MediaCityUK line on Sundays, but we do constantly review this and will adjust capacity to provide additional space should the need arise.”