Metrolink: TfGM issues fresh update on work to get Oldham-Rochdale trams up and running again
Work to fix land movement near a Greater Manchester Metrolink stop is underway in a bid to get services between two towns running again.
Transport for Greater Manchester has announced that the work on the Oldham to Rochdale Metrolink line has started - but says it could take ‘several weeks’ to complete. TfGM identified some land movement affecting the track between Derker and Shaw and Crompton earlier this month and services between Rochdale town centre and Oldham Mumps have been suspended ever since.
The work, which is near to the Derker Metrolink stop, is to get trams moving again after land movement caused the tracks to need repairing. The overhead line poles also need to be repaired. Due to the complexity of the work, it is expected to take up to five weeks to complete. TfGM has said they hope to speed up the work schedule.
The next step is for a detailed ground investigation to establish whether further work to strengthen foundations beneath the track will be needed at a later date.
TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, Pete Sommers, said: “I’m sorry for the impact this is having, and will continue to have, on people’s journeys. We are working to get trams running through the area again, but this remains a complex and challenging issue and it could still be a few weeks before this happens. We will of course keep passengers updated and I’d encourage people to check our social media channels and website for the latest information and advice.”