Altrincham tram line to close for two weeks in October
Sale tram passengers are facing another lengthy disruption this autumn, with the Altrincham line set to close completely for two weeks.
No trams will run on the line from Monday 19 October until Sunday 01 November while major improvement works take place at Deansgate-Castlefield and Trafford Bar.
Services are scheduled to return to normal from the start of service on Monday 02 November.
The closure will affect the entire Altrincham line, including Brooklands, Sale and Dane Road, with replacement buses operating between affected stops.
It comes less than three months after passengers had a three-week shutdown during the summer.
From 13 July to 02 August, the whole Altrincham line was suspended while major track replacement work was carried out between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield. That work formed part of Transport for Greater Manchester’s near-£150 million programme of maintenance, upgrades and improvements across the Metrolink network.
Which tram lines will be affected?
The latest closure will also see the Eccles and Trafford Centre lines completely suspended for the same two weeks. Services on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines will terminate at Firswood, while Rochdale line services will terminate at Exchange Square.
TfGM says the October closure will allow improvement works to take place at both Deansgate-Castlefield and Trafford Bar, alongside additional work in Manchester city centre.
By carrying out several projects during the same closure, TfGM hopes to reduce the need for further shutdowns across the tram network.
Replacement bus services will run between affected stops, although full routes and timetables have not yet been published. TfGM says more information will be provided closer to the closure.
Passengers will still need a valid ticket while the works are taking place. Tram tickets covering the relevant zones will be accepted on tram replacement buses, while one-day Bee Bus tickets will also be valid on replacement services.
