Metrolink passes major milestone

Twenty-four new trams are set to be introduced onto the network over the coming months

Metrolink’s fleet of trams proved they really can go the distance, after clocking up more than one-hundred million kilometres (km) serving Greater Manchester’s residents, visitors and key workers.

The current 123-tram fleet, which averages 37,000km every weekday, passed the major milestone late last month and has now clocked a total of 100,431,125km since the first one was introduced onto the network in 2009.

13,772,590km of those have come since Monday, March 16, 2020 - the date when the UK first went into lockdown.

A whole raft of safety measures has also been implemented across the network, to ensure that those who have needed to continue using use the system during the pandemic can do so as safely as possible.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM)’s Head of Metrolink Danny Vaughan, said: “Like most elements of society, Metrolink has faced some serious challenges during the pandemic, but this is a significant achievement and a real positive that should be celebrated.

“The maintenance team at KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM) are an absolutely crucial cog in enabling this to happen and I'd like to thank them for the unseen work they do; ensuring we can provide the best service possible to the many thousands of people who travel with us daily. 

“I’m proud of how the network has grown over the past decade and how we have supported key workers throughout the pandemic.

"As we prepare to move into step 3 of the government’s road map, we’ll have an equally important role supporting our economic recovery by helping people get to school, college or work, visit friends and family or access shops, bars, restaurants and events.”

Of all the existing M-5000 fleet, vehicle 3008 has put in the biggest shift, travelling 1,203,946km between the network’s 99 stops.

A further 24 new trams are set to be introduced onto the network over the coming months.

Metrolink is one of the most sustainable and environmentally-friendly ways to get around Greater Manchester; trams emit no harmful emissions and are powered by renewable and green energy sources – which is vitally important as the city-region looks to clean-up the air we breathe.

The M5000 model, manufactured by Bombardier, phased out the older T68 vehicles, with the last one taken out of service in 2014.

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