Order lodged for German-made trams

OLDHAM’S new £2 million trams are on order.

Almost 30 of the cars, similar to ones already running in Germany, will be used on the lines now being built to Oldham, Rochdale, Droylsden, and Chorlton.

They will be built by Canadian firm Bombardier in partnership with German technology company Vossloh Kiepe.

Philip Purdy, the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive’s Metrolink director, said: “We’re expecting passengers to make more than 90,000 journeys on the network every day when the extensions open, so we’ll need lots of trams.

“We’ve got a construction team in place to build the three new lines, and I’m pleased we’ve now reached the stage where we can place an order for new state-of-the-art trams to run on them.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the new model become a familiar sight across Greater Manchester.”

Last week, GMPTE appointed the M-Pact Thales consortium to design, build and maintain the new Metrolink lines.

Construction should start early next year and the lines are expected to begin opening within three years.

GMPTE ordered 12 trams from Bombardier last year to relieve overcrowding on the existing Metrolink network, and to provide a new service to MediaCity:UK at Salford Quays.

The new trams will be bigger and more comfortable than the current Italian-built models which were introduced in 1992.

Up to 200 passengers will be able to travel on each of the cars, and wide doors will make travel easy for people with wheelchairs or pushchairs.




Oldham travellers can have a face-to-face chat with the managers responsible for running their public transport services next week. Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority is hosting a transport drop-in session on the mezzanine level of Piccadilly Station’s Metrolink stop on Wednesday, July 2, from 4-6pm.