One month to go for St Peter’s Square tram works
The new-look Metrolink stop for Manchester’s St Peter’s Square is taking shape as construction work enters the final stages.
The expanded stop will be opened by Transport for Greater Manchester to passengers at the end of August.
The second platform and passenger shelter are now in place after the crane on the adjacent 2 St Peter’s Square construction site lifted 10-tonne precast concrete sections into position overnight.
A new video shows the Metrolink stop is also now the first on the tram network to have trees planted on its platforms. Both platforms have two trees to offer shade and greenery alongside the green-themed passenger shelters.
A total of 22 semi-mature trees are currently being installed around the stop as part of Manchester City Council’s redevelopment of St Peter’s Square into a major new civic space.
Metrolink services have been suspended through the square since 26 June to accommodate works to get it ready for services at the end of August.
Services will run through the stop using the revamped original city crossing line which runs along Mosley Street. When the second city crossing opens in 2017, the improved stop will allow more frequent services to run through the city and across the tram network on a new line.
As the 14-month build programme nears completion, contractor M-Pact Thales is laying the final new stretches of tram line through the square. Coming weeks will also see fixtures and fittings, including overhead line equipment and on stop furniture, installed.
TfGM’s Metrolink director, Peter Cushing, said: “We’ve seen some really rapid progress in St Peter’s Square over the last few weeks with both new platforms substantially complete.
“Having trees actually on the stop as well as throughout the square is a new feature for Metrolink and just part of the plans to offer a fantastic new public space in our city centre.
“We’re also looking ahead to the new Second City Crossing line opening next year, when the St Peter’s Square stop will be able to handle more frequent services across the wider tram network, meaning wider benefits for all our customers.”
Yorkstone paving is currently being laid on and around the tram stop and square to complement the existing paving following major works by the council in 2014.
Some of these paving works will continue in the area after the tram stop opens for services at the end of August, to finally complete the whole of the St Peter’s Square area.
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Seems has been a long time coming…Shame about the overhead wires and the horrid platforms..When comes to the wires, why did they not do as is case in NICE where in centre there are none? The trams power up on the edge of the city centre….
By Schwyz
Looking good. Hope they don’t spoil it by putting in vile yellow stop sign facias on the canopies.
By Yellow alert
Schwyz, Trams can be powered by batteries for a short distance these days but it’s still fairly new technology and costs an absolute fortune. Especially since the batteries have to be replaced every 5 years.
By Kindanew
Oops, looks like I spoke too soon 🙁
By Yellow alert
They are beginning to make the city centre tram stops iconic. This one,Deansgate/Castlefied and the new Exchange square are all easy on the eye, and I like the idea of greenery too. Ironic really that Manchester can plant trees on it’s Metro stops, but cannot provide a pleasant park in the centre,where people can sit.Maybe the way forward,is for transport interchanges to become the must go to places,to eat your butties.
By Elephant
Whilst it might have cost a pretty penny, the good thing to do for the city would have been to sink the platforms into St Peters Square, and put a proper open square over the top, with hard landscaping, trees and shrubs to create usable public space. Not just a massive surface tram stop.
There was probably some drains and utilities in the way or something, but such wouldn’t stop more ambitious cities or projects like cross rail.
I am all for expanding the tram network though. But as others have said there is so little park or plain open space for an increasingly busy city centre.
By Optimist