http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....ck_in_26m_deal Airport ensionadlso 2nd city centre line in all likelyhood) moves a step closer.

Also http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news...extension.html - Ashton and East Dids now with final approval.

That means only airport (detailed planning funded today) is short of legal powers and final approval whilst Oldham & Rochdale town centres are just waiting on final approval now.

Couple of interesting articles about the expansion news.

From memory, the network will have about 110 stops a similar number of trams and about 70km long.

That is some network by anyones standards...

Firstly about the recently released plans for Oldham...

http://www.saddleworthnews.com/?p=640


And secondly about how only 2CC is now waiting for government approval, the rest of Phase3a and Phase3b now all being fully approved and funded..

http://www.transportbriefing.co.uk/b...cle.php?id=418

Today there seems to have been a problem on the metrolink.
A tram failed at Dane road. I think it was an old one, and this is nothing new. Serco treated the trams disgracefully and they need a complete refurb ASAP.
I am getting a bit fed up with this. However, there was also a signal problem at Navigation road. I was there at the time after buying some parts off a mate of mine, and the all the tram's emergency brakes slammed on about a hundred yards from the station. no slowing down on any occasion. The poor passengers must have felt the full force of it all.

I was on an M5000 tram that was held in the city centre at a signal for a long time yesterday. I wondered what was going on.

Is it related to this?

TBH I thought Serco done a Better Job than Stagecoach as the trams seem to be worse condition in the hands of Stagecoach than what they where with Serco.

Shock to the system today thogh as soon as I entered the Mero Link at Man PIc to catch an Eccles tram one was jsut comming out of the tunnel and it was a new opne as well hows that for luck normally you find em on Bury and Altrnicham lines but they seem to have spread there wings to Eccles line now.

I also got 3009 on the way Back to M-Pic from Mkt Street after being on another one also on the eccles line on the way back from Salford Quays.

1014 must have had a faliure to day as saw this one pass me with engineers on board out of service.

This trouble seems to have happened over a number of years. A few years back there was signalling problems and that was due to "youths" (as polite as I can be) nicking copper and signals froze. Yesterday a tram broke AND so did the signals. Tearing out a junction box is one thing, but a moving tram? These yobs are getting more talented! :D

I'm certinately looking forward to seeing this on the Oldham section, hopefully will shift some passengers away from all those buses ;) and free up space, and be more efficient and passenger friendly than the trains were, also being able to link Oldham with Manchester Picc is rather good for interchange.

Having said that all these reports saying Vic and Picc will soon be linked anway by heavy rail. Nonetheless, its all good stuff (well, when it's complete).

The thing is how do we know it is youths /yobs it could be an inside job.

I like that.
It is often done with such precision as well. Thinking about it you don't see hoodies bringing down an entire network in 20 minutes UNOTICED do you?

On saturday I saw a sign in piccadilly gardens. It said " a better metrolink is comming"
Underneath someone had written "When?" :D

The new trams are very bumpy. This has not been adressed, perhaps for the reason of putting passengers on buses.