If it takes one man 10 weeks to dig a hole...

I didn't think it was possible for Metrolink to make a bigger mess of a town centre than they have made of Rochdale. Boy was I wrong!

I attempted to drive out of Oldham last night. All the roads are dug up to allow the tram to be routed down the Main Street, none of the diversions are properly signposted and don't take you where you expect. This work is supposed to be finished in 2015.

Ashton now has track through to the centre, complete with overhead cabling. It looks pretty much finished. This line is not opening till 2014.

I'm involved in major project management for a living. Why does someone not throw some serious resource at this to get the projects finished and start generating revenue?

Ask the people who planned it all johnb. I cannot get around the planning of it all. I am not qualified like you but may be you are best to explain it all to me.

At the bottom of Drake Street near the present Bus Station they are spending Millions of Pounds make the area look nice with new paving etc.

Yet when they decide to knock down the bus station and present council officies will they cause a complete mess to the new area where the tram stop will be at the bottom of the road I mentioned. Will this be in use when the knocking down starts? I just wondered.

It took less time (and stupidity) to build some of the pyramids! Is anyone on here likely to get a 'ride' on this route before we all kick the bucket?

The road network in Oldham changes almost overnight. One day the road is open, the next its not.

Rumours are abound that the line to Shaw will be opening just before Christmas, with the last section to Rochdale Railway Station early in the New Year.

I too am a bit perplexed at the Ashton section all but ready but not open till 2014.

THE MEN website is reporting that the trams will run to Shaw from this Sunday, 16 Dec. 06:50 from Oldham Mumps, through Derker and to Shaw at 06:59. Extension to Rochdale 'expected to be completed next year ' - delays due to problems with the computer control system, Droylsden line opening delayed until Feb 11 for same reason.

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1595998_shaw-and-crompton-metrolink-trams-start-this-sunday?rss=yes

I may try and venture to see the first Tram.

Having seen the prices quoted in that report - £6.20 peak return for Shaw to Manchester - I think I'll have to start saving up now to ride the Metrolink... I shudder to think what the cost would be from Rochdale to Manchester.

Though no-one will actually go from Rochdale to Manchester on the tram - it'll be quicker and cheaper to get the train.

Yes, the trams are expensive, especially for the longer journeys where a bus day ticket is much cheaper or the train is an option. On the Bury line a lot of people reverted back to the bus after initial tram use because of cost and crowding. It will be interesting to see how the Rochdale to Manchester journeys settle down between the two options; the new, frequent tram option or the older, less frequent but cheaper train option. I wonder how the journey times will compare, and reliability.

I can see a lot of Shaw / Milnrow / Newhey people getting the tram to rochdale to get the train. Quicker, and if you avoid a tram ticket (naughty naughty), cheaper.

Must agree, as do my fellow members of STORM, that the timescale for completion is mind boggling, but that is modern day project management.
(Chill if you make the first tram a photo would be good for STORM’s website.)

To answer some points above.

The expected usage is not, and has never been, journeys from Rochdale to Manchester, although cross city passengers may choose the tram to avoid Victoria Station.

The fares quoted are similar to existing fares and if Striding looks at the trams from Bury in the rush periods he may reconsider his comment on travellers from the Bury corridor reverting back to bus.

The road diversions are the responsibility of local councils, so no surprise there.

The ‘black box’ is due for demolition early next year and will not affect the newly constructed Metrolink infrastructure.

As for non payment is ‘naughty naughty and cheaper’ it is illegal and carries a £80 on the spot fine and is not a victimless crime as the honest fare payer has to make up the short fall from freeloaders.

New tram services, even in the much praised large European cities, takes time to increase patronage. As for reliability isn’t it strange that any hiccup on public transport is headline news but death and delay on road or motorway is treated by some as minor irritation.

And think on the more of us oldies using the trams for free means less cars in front of you.

That's all well and good, but when they were trying to sell us the congestion charge, we were assured that metro would make our car journeys around Manchester redundant. Abject nonsense of course - Metro is designed to carry people along spokes to the hub - but that is what we were told.