A tram has been off the rails for THREE YEARS as engineers try to work out how to fix a mystery fault affecting its brakes.
They have removed and replaced a range of likely problem components in the old-style Metrolink vehicle during ‘exhaustive’ tests.
Bosses have now called in a specialist from international engineering firm Bombardier who they believe may have finally solved the problem.
They plan to try out a new electronic cable in the system, but the results will not be known until early next year.
Philip Purdy, GMPTE’s Metrolink director, said: “The unusual nature of the problem, which is unique to this particular tram, has involved exhaustive investigations to identify the cause of the fault.
“Comprehensive diagnostic checks have been carried out and every single component in the vehicle has been replaced and tested, but the problem remains.
“It’s been a frustrating issue because we’ve got a tram that we’ve not been able to use, despite extensive work.”
Documents obtained by the M.E.N. under the Freedom of Information Act show that the tram’s wheel mountings, or bogies, had been changed.
An independent report said last year that ‘significant time and effort’ had been spent trying to isolate the fault.
It said monitoring equipment had been installed, the wiring had been checked and all significant components replaced.
The report added: “The work completed by Metrolink to date in investigating this fault seems reasonable but has probably gone as far as possible.”
Another report prepared by GMPTE earlier this year said: “Recommendations as to how the issues with the tram can be resolved have been submitted by an independent specialist funded by the operator.”
Mr Purdy added: “Bombardier, who are delivering our new M5000 trams, have now kindly provided a fresh perspective on this issue from one of their leading technicians and we’re going to trial a new high-specification cable.
“This will be fitted and tested in due course and the results should be known early next year.”
The M.E.N. told earlier this month how one of the new yellow trams – which cost £2m – has been sent abroad to Austria to be repaired after it was in a collision with a lorry.
It has taken a 1,000-mile journey by road and ferry to the Bombardier factory in Vienna to be fixed.
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Surely they should have asked Bombardier earlier? Or was pride at stake?
so its not just the trams that are unreliable its also the mechanics,surely it should take less than 3 years to call in an expert,they can build them quicker than metrolink can solve a problem but there again didnt metrolink also forget to check the wheelbase/axle width before accepting delivery on the original trams and then spent a small fortune getting engineers to chop them down and rebuild them to correct size.we have allowed these buffoons to fail us far to often ,they even rip is off by having repeated problems with ticket machines on platforms and then putting the gestapo on the next one knowing that people have to get to work or may lose jobs,these inspectors dont have an understanding face or even a ticket machine like a conductor,they are just there to make us pay for their incompitance....
"They plan to try out a new electronic cable in the system"
What's an Electronic cable please?
Once upon a time this country led the world in track & train design, but successive governments and union stupidity led to the total loss of the train industry and we are now left with the almost unbelievable situation where we have to import them from Austria.
I wonder what industries the Tory/Fib dems are planning to destroy next, Forgemasters perhaps?
What makes me laugh is we used to lead the world in train/tram building in crewe now we have to ask others how to repair trams we buy from other countries? what a joke.
sounds like Trigger's Brush!
Wrong kind of wind and rain?
I'm so proud to be British, its an embarrasment and someone at GPMTE needs firing
Must have been a "Coming Soon" Tram to coin the famous Metrolink slogan meaning "At least 18 months later than it should be"
Maybe if this "great" country of ours was to spend more money on it's transport system and less on allowing people to send child benefits abroad, people fiddling their expenses & protect our boarders we may just start to have a more reliable transport syatem
Fatty Arbuckle was out to make a fast quid.
Why not use it as the next Space Shuttle:-))
3 years and still couldn't fix it. Nice work if you can get it!
How long will it take to fix the one that crashed in Coronation Street?
What a joke. Why develop such complex technology for something which is simply a locomotive? How many blackpool trams need to be off the road for so long and with so many people scratching their collective heads? Not many i'll wager... Keep it simple,then it will work.
Have they called the AA? I am led to believe they do home starts.
Have they checked that the tram is AC or DC voltage....
Maybe they should introduce clockwork trams, they seem to wind up so many people on here.
CTRL + ALT + DEL anyone?
Scarp the trams. They are beyong laughable. I'm currently travelling around the world and every other country so far has no issues whatsoever, running like clockwork, sometimes without even drivers!
Shambolic.
METROSTINK STRIKES AGAIN! We should all boycott this so called transport system.
We have no engineers left in the UK, just interior designers, dancers, bankers and x-factor contestants.
If it doesnt come in the next 10 minutes then Im going to get the bus
So GMPTE won't let Stagecoach run Metrolink their own way? As a regular Stagecoach Supertram (Sheffield) user I despair when I'm on Metrolink. Maintenance on Supertram means being able to run a 24 car peak service out of a total fleet strength of just 25.
In Sheffield there's a piece of equipment Manchester's not seen since 1949. It's called a tram conductor, & Stagecoach reckon it more than pays for itself by the revenue that's not lost to duff machines & dodgers, not paying an army of inspectors, plus the unquantifiable goodwill generated by passengers having someone on hand to help. West Midlands metro made the same move in Birmingham, by the way, while Nottingham dropped the idea of machines entirely & actually started its new system with conductors.
For pete's sake, GMPTE, just stand back & let Stagecoach run Metrolink!!
what a joke we cant even get a tram to work now without asking for help. We used to be the centre of excellence with technology. How many shiney suits do they employ that are so called managers that are useless