Trams double for BBC

David Ottewell

September 28, 2007

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TRAMS: Doubling up on the Eccles line

METROLINK services to Salford Quays are being doubled ahead of the BBC's big move north.

The North West Development Agency has agreed to bankroll an £8m upgrade that will see a peak-time service of one tram every six minutes between Cornbrook and the Quays.

The money will pay for new trams from manufacturers Bombardier, a turn-back facility at Cornbrook, new sidings and ancillary works. Ten services will run on the line every hour at peak times.

The upgrade will be complete by 2010, a year ahead of the BBC's switch to the mediacity:uk site.

The corporation is moving 1,500 jobs and five departments - including children's BBC, sport and Five Live - from London to Salford Quays.

The mediacity:uk will also play host a number of other production and research facilities. In total it is expected to create more than 15,000 jobs.

Important

The NWDA said its upgrade package recognised that Cornbrook was becoming an increasingly important hub on the tram network. It connects the existing Altrincham-to-Bury line with the Eccles-to-Manchester-city-centre line and is an interchange for proposed `Big Bang' extensions, including the new line to Manchester Airport.

Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, said: "I am delighted to announce approval of our funding for this important infrastructure project.

"It will help to support the continued economic growth of the Manchester city region in a sustainable manner and complements other major investments by the public and private sectors." Leader of Salford council John Merry said: "This is excellent news for Salford and demonstrates our commitment to continual investment in the area.

"This improvement to Metrolink services will not only enhance our connectivity with Manchester but will also pave the way for the incredible economic growth and employment opportunities that the creation of mediacity:uk will bring."

Chris Farrow, chief executive of Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company, said: "This is a very welcome confirmation of the NWDA's support.

"It brings city centre level of accessibility and frequency of tram service to the whole of the Salford Quays area. The benefits arising from major investments in the quays such as mediacity:uk will be reinforced by the improved Metrolink service."

What do you think? Have your say.

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Peanut (28/09/2007 at 08:41)

What about the trams actually getting to Cornbrook in the first place? Are they going to be doubled?
All of the bbc staff involved in the move arent going to be living right by Cornbrook station are they??

The Catcher, In The Rye (28/09/2007 at 08:58)

Pity we didn't use British-made rolling stock, then at least british workers would have gained some advantage from this BBC-pandering move.

rammylad, ramsbottom (28/09/2007 at 10:55)

It's amazing what you can achieve by investigating specific requirements the paying public have. i.e. For a mere £8m we can ensure the BBC staff have adequate PT. Now let's roll that theory out across Manchester instead of the labour lunacy of pushing every Manchester citizen into £3bn of debt for an unknown and undisclosed PT strategy.

Barry C (28/09/2007 at 11:01)

Surely all of the BBC staff will be driving from Chorlton?

J Sheldon, UK (28/09/2007 at 11:43)

Whatever the reason pushed forward for improvements, the BBC exists because of TV Tax. Like most public bodies, you look after your own in an effort to maintain your own importance and existence. This does no more then move tax monies around between these bodies. They all feed, some more greedily then others from the overflowing tax trough.

Charles Light (28/09/2007 at 11:46)

That's nice for the BBC but what about the other thousands of workers who have to suffer current PT on a regular basis ?

Mr Angry, Bury (28/09/2007 at 13:11)

Catcher, We don't ave british made rolling stock because Thatcher shut all the factories down

redforlife (28/09/2007 at 13:16)

this assumes that no bbc member of staff will live in salford but south manchester. what if they all decide to live north of the quays, no PT to the quays from this direction.

Quays Mark, Salford Quays (28/09/2007 at 13:37)

For a detailed, maintained photographic timeline of the Media City : UK (MC:UK) Salford Quays development site, do a search on 'media city uk timeline q3' in Google. Development visibly started in June and the first full sized crane went up yesterday. Aspects of the first BBC building are visible already (3-4 storeys). This has been put together inside 4 weeks. It's quite clear looking at the current pictures that there is a big push on getting this Quays development completed (in the first phase) by 2010/11.

Barry C (28/09/2007 at 14:15)

Thanks, Quays Mark.

Are you helping to 'Deliver The Vision'? (groan). Which one of the parters do you work for? Peel? Salford Council?

Quays Mark, Salford Quays (28/09/2007 at 14:36)

Cheers Barry. Actually I work for a small Software House on Broadway just around the corner. I have been working there for 12 years as an IT Manager and started when Salford Quays was just an 'even level canvas' to do work on. I thought it would be quite interesting to chart the build of this site from 'grass to iconic(?) skyline' over the next 4 years or so for others to see. I often trip to the usual coffee haunts across from the Lowry Center so I thought I would make use of my caffeine injections with an accompanying historical timeline photoshoot. It only costs a minute a day but the overall result over time is quite impressive. Lets hope the resulting skyline is as impressive as my detailed account of its rise from the soil.

Barry C (28/09/2007 at 15:26)

Apologies Mark - if I'd actually looked at your site, it would have been obvious that you didn't work for them.

Seriously though, you're wasted in IT!

Quays Mark, Salford Quays (28/09/2007 at 15:57)

Cheers Barry... Maybe the Media City : UK development will inspire me to at least have a go at putting up a Conservatory... or at least mow the lawn...

ebble (28/09/2007 at 17:58)

Keep Salford BBC free. Scrap the licence fee.

Tram driver, manchester (28/09/2007 at 22:45)

Would seem im the first staff member of metrolink to comment, my OWN personal view is that this wont work!, six minute service between cornbrook n salford quays!, not gonna happen, we drivers can barley keep on time as it is now, what with ageing LRV's ( sorry - trams )etc, as most of you know all it takes is one tram to fail, one Overhead line failure, one passenger incident i.e passenger taking ill onboard and that six minute service is out the window!!.
I'd also like to know where at cornbrook the extra siding / turn back will be built as on either side of our tracks is network rail infrastructure and the canal! also people seem to forget that the link to "media city" would partially run on the current phase 2 ( eccles ) line, meaning that would have to run 6 mins!, cant be done !!!especially during peak on eccles new road, with the traffic backing up, let alone the daily incidents with the local "cherubs" around weaste and langworthy.. but hey what do i know?, im just a driver who drives these trams day in day out, who knows how hard it is to keep to the current timetable we have now, whos experienced countless numbers of times the delays etc of failed trams!, if the BBC want 6 minute trams down salford quays then brand new trams are needed, the traffic on eccles new road needs to be dealt with, passenegrs "holding doors" need to stand clear when the door tones sounds so the doors can close and the tram can leave on time, cornbrook junction ( signals and points) will need redesigning to cope with the extra trams passing through..... you get the point.
Im all for the bbc moving up here if it will create new jobs etc, but there are some seriously daft people out there if they think a 6 minute service can run to salford quays.... and im sure itll cost more than £8 million.

Pippa, Manchester (30/09/2007 at 09:25)

Sounds great - if that's where you want to go. Personally I'd like to able to get from Tameside to Trafford Park easily on public transport........at present it's 3 buses in rush hour......wonder why I've still got a car eh?

macker in N.Z., AUCLAND N.Z. (01/10/2007 at 00:44)

Lets not forget Salford is the fifth best place in britain to live so all the big wigs from the bbc will be living in ordsall wont they problem solved!!!!!!

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