All aboard the Second City Crossing

Pictured are: (l-r) Peter Cushing (TfGM Metrolink Director), Cllr Carl Austin-Behan (The Lord Mayor of Manchester), and Cllr Andrew Fender (Chair, TfGM Committee)

METROLINK'S Second City Crossing will officially open on Sunday, after a preview tram took one of the first journey's through Manchester this week.

The new line 1.3km stretch of track runs from the transformed Deansgate-Castlefield stop to a new stop at St Peter's Square along Cross Street to stops at Exchange Square and Victoria, offering new links and more frequent trams through Manchester city centre.

It marks the final piece of Metrolink's "big-bang" expansion, a £1.5bn programme which has seen the Greater Manchester Metrolink light rail network grow to three times its original size.

In December 2009, work began on a new tram line to East Didsbury with new lines to MediaCityUK, Rochdale via Oldham, Ashton and Manchester Airport following to make and Metrolink the largest light rail system in the UK.

TfGM Metrolink Director, Peter Cushing, said: "I'm immensely proud of what we've achieved with our partners over the last eight years as we've expanded the Metrolink network to become the largest light rail system in the UK.

"The Second City Crossing opening will be the culmination of years of hard work to complete the Phase 3 big bang expansion, and it would not have been possible without the hard work of my team, contractors MPT and operator RATP Dev, helping to make this a reality.

"I'd like to thank everyone involved and I look forward to seeing our customers right across the tram network experiencing the benefits."

The first phase of the Second City Crossing opened from Victoria through to a new stop at Exchange Square in December 2015.