Relief as tram lines reopen after three-week closure

Three weeks of disruption to commuters in Greater Manchester has come to an end after the one of the biggest ever upgrades to the region's tram network.

The Eccles, Trafford Centre and Altrincham lines on the Bee Network reopened earlier, with services to Manchester Airport and East Didsbury reconnected to the wider network.

They were closed on 13 July as part of a £150m upgrade to 6km of track between Trafford Bar, Cornbrook and Deansgate-Castlefield.

It comes after passengers had been forced to take busy replacement buses and trains for weeks while the work took place.

A section of the track by Trafford Bar was 30 years old and was torn out and replaced as part of the work.

Transport bosses say the repairs mean the tracks will not need replacing for another 30 years and passengers should see direct benefits once the lines reopen.

In one section of track being replaced, trams were previously limited to speeds of 5mph, but this could go up to as much as 20mph once the new tracks are in, making it less likely that services will face delays.

The new tracks have a different design to the old ones, and this is expected to make tram journeys feel smoother for passengers than they were before.

Drainage is being replaced as well along the side of tracks to reduce the chances of flooding incidents in future.

Further works are expected to take place around October while other sections of track are dug up and replaced, so the disruption is not over yet.

Manchester's Metrolink network opened in 1992 and has 99 stops on eight lines across Greater Manchester.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.