New extended Metrolink service - more of the same late, expensive, slow unreliable service

no one in their right mind would travel from Oldham to Ashton by tram when a bus serves. London cannot be compaired as it did not suffer the closure of circular rail routes, Bolton to Rochdale Oldham to Ashton etc for instance. regular tram passengers like the system as witnessed by increased usage.

I still haven't got on a tram at Shaw that has been on time since the Rochdale Centre station opened. This morning's 07:07 arrived at 07:14 and reached its destination 12 minutes late, despite the metrolink website claiming 'good service' - that is a imaginative use of the word 'good'.

The results of a survey of five tram services was published last week. Of 5 categories Metrolink was bottom in 4 of them, sometimes by over 20%, and 2nd to bottom in the fifth (ahead by 1%). http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchesters-metrolink-not-give-value-6941968
The head of Metrolink made the excuse that work was going on at the time, but work is still going on, delays are much more frequent but slightly less often severe, and as far as value is concerned, my weekly fare went up by 17% at New Year since that survey was carried out so what they would score now must be even worse.

With the schools being off, I am driving tomorrow,as even on a quiet day with mild weather, Metrolink can't get a service on time.

Old Regulator wrote:no one in their right mind would travel from Oldham to Ashton by tram when a bus serves.  London cannot be compaired as it did not suffer the closure of circular rail routes, Bolton to Rochdale Oldham to Ashton etc for instance. regular tram passengers like the system as witnessed by increased usage.

I made the point very frequently when I opposed the proposed conjestion charge:

Much travel in Greater Manchester is circumfrential. Metrolink does not address this.

Car travel is probably much more appropriate (if ecologically unfriendly) for most circumfrential journeys.

I thought public ransport was supposed to address needs.

Perhaps the congestion charge had it’s good points then? Let’s face it John I support public transport and would re-nationalise buses and trains, it costs far more now than the subsidies of the past with even the East Coast mainline company, a publicly owned not for profit, being barred from submitting a franchise bid so that the over the channel, and Atlantic for that matter, firms can cream off even more tax payers money. I understand that car travel is seen as the ultimate in convenience, but not cheapest, but again let’s face it our grandchildren will not be able to afford cars when they need to get to work if our existing methods of mass transit are allowed to disappear. By the way just because the inner ring road is packed each working day doesn’t mean non of them are making their way into Manchester City centre, but just trying to avoid the main roads with them awful buses and trams clogging them up (grin).

I would support public transport if it were fit for purpose.

It isn't so I don't.

And your suggestions are?

Metro-link is a new system. Give it a chance. Like all new systems there's a learning curve and acclimatisation period. It may prove to be inadequate for the purpose - but only time will tell if such be the case. As for planners, shifters and movers there's always another agenda which is not necessarily what Joe Public had in mind. I don't have an opinion either way as I'm not qualified and so I leave it to you, the experts. Was it money well spent? Is it ever? Isn't it really just another one of those 'things' we have to accept at the end of the day. Homo Sapien - tch.    

It's not new - it's been running for 22 years! They really should have got the hang of it by now, or stood down to let someone else try.

If capacity is a problem then there should be more double trams, and stop the delays that cause overcrowding. If the service is too expensive as highlighted in the recent survey comparing tram services as reported by the MEN, then reduce the prices. If there aren't enough drivers, then replace the managers who a have failed to plan competently. If trams keep breaking down, then replace them and hold the suppliers to account. If the same points keep failing, then replace the maintenance staff and impose penalties. If failure at one point keeps delaying all lines, then design a proper network. Finally, if the service does not improve, then replace the top managers and the councillors failing to hold the service to account.

I noticed Councillor Colin Lambert on a tram this rush hour heading back to Rochdale just after 6 pm, He was sat (once number standing reduced by a bit) on one of the priority seats. I hope that he reports back on his experience. He seemed to be paying attention through the centre of Oldham - perhaps trying to pick up some ideas, although he could do with passing on the details of a good demolition firm to Oldham council to clear out the derelict buildings detracting from the modernisation in the centre.