Tram, van in one big scrape

DAMAGE . . . The Metrolink tram with scratches and the parked wagon collide on Union Street, Oldham

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PASSENGERS were forced to evacuate and travellers faced delays after a tram and a lorry collided on Union Street yesterday lunchtime.

People were told to leave the tram and several elderly people had to be helped and lifted down from the vehicle by Metrolink staff and police following the incident at 12.15pm.

The Rochdale to East Didsbury tram was travelling from Mumps when it collided with the side of a parked truck which was delivering furniture just before the junction with Bridge Street.

No one was injured, but several of the passengers said they were shaken by the incident. The door of the tram was damaged and the paintwork was badly scratched.

Services were severely disrupted on the line with staff advising passengers to use bus services if their journeys were urgent. It took around an hour to remove the tram and police closed off the road to vehicles coming up Union Street for around 40 minutes.

It took Metrolink workers, including the driver, and a police officer several minutes to help passenger Vera Burn, from Littleborough, get off the tram.

She said: "I was sat on the side which hit the lorry and suddenly there was a scrapping noise and crunch, crunch, crunch. It was pretty scary.

"Luckily, the Metrolink people and the policewoman were a big help.

David and Eileen Allen, from Milnrow, said: "It happened so quickly. We were worried at first as we didn't know what had happened."

The driver of the truck, who did not want to be named, said: "I was just sat here and heard a big scraping noise then saw the tram alongside. I don't think there's much damage to our vehicle just the wing mirror."

A spokesman for Transport for Greater Manchester said passengers were "detrained" under its strict safety procedures and service changes were put in place between Rochdale town centre and Mumps and East Didsbury and Westwood.