Commuter hits out at tram overcrowding

PACKED . . . an Oldham tram during peak times

A COMMUTER has criticised overcrowding on trams on the Oldham Metrolink line.

Will Gough, who lives in Shaw and works in Manchester, blames the frequency of the service - which regularly leads to him being passed by trams too full to board.

Will said he is often left waiting at the platform in Manchester as packed, Oldham-bound single trams pass every 12 minutes while double trams head to Bury every six minutes.

He said: “Before they closed St Peter’s Square there were fairly regularly double trams at peak times, but since they’ve closed there has been a lot of overcrowding, which in my view is dangerous.

You just get a single to Oldham every 12 minutes, and these are often so busy you can’t even get on at peak times. They told me they would be monitoring the situation back in July but nothing has improved.”

Metrolink said work to build the second city crossing, due for completion later this year, will help to increase capacity and frequency.

A spokesman said: “The Oldham and Rochdale line has become increasingly popular. Where possible we schedule double trams to meet demand. Currently it’s not operationally possible to a run a more frequent service. But with the opening of the Exchange Square stop later this year, trams will run to Shaw and Crompton every six minutes.”