TRANSPORT
near where they were. We’ve ironed out a lot of the bugs and we’re on the road to moving on.”
The improved infrastructure and signalling is also useful during big events – the tram network serves both the Old Trafford and Etihad stadiums, and the Old Trafford cricket ground, which can now be cleared of passengers in about half the time that used to be possible. It means, for example, that three double-trams can be queued up at the appropriate time to get people home.
Ticketing
TfGM is also implementing a new smartcard system called ‘Get Me There’ across its transport networks, which it says will make public transport a faster, easier and more flexible option.
The ‘touch-in, touch-out’ system will be the most sophisticated of its kind in the country, TfGM say, and the first of its kind in terms of what it’s expected to do.
Carla Taylor, revenue recovery manager at Metrolink RATP Dev Limited, the company contracted by TfGM to operate the trams and employ the drivers and ticket inspectors, said the proceeds from fines and prosecutions goes back into running the tram system. She said: “We’ve done a lot of work with schools, colleges and academies across the network to give a better understanding of the impact of fare evasion, but also the Metrolink system in general and the expected behaviours of young people while travelling.
“So far, this has proved extremely successful, with many not being aware they could be prosecuted for not having a valid ticket and that all our trams and platforms are fitted with CCTV.”
The future network
The Airport line is the final extension of the current phase, although there are as- yet unfunded plans for another extension westwards to the Trafford Park industrial area and Trafford Centre shopping precinct. A public consultation on that plan has just finished. “If we got funding now, we could start work in 2016 and be open by 2020,” Cushing told us.
Plans for further extensions to Marple and
As there are no ticket gates at the tram stops, fare dodging is a problem. The Oldham Evening Chronicle recently reported that on one tram, 85% of passengers (mostly college students) had no ticket. Inspectors boarding the trams to check tickets can issue £100 fines, cut to £50 if paid promptly, and prosecutions follow if fines go unpaid.
The overall fare dodging rate is about one in 40, Metrolink had said. Cushing has said that it is no different from any other theft, and it must be tackled.
Stockport are at an even earlier stage. Any extension could involve the use of ‘tram-trains’, where light rail vehicles use the heavy rail tracks, shared with the national rail operators, for part of their journey before switching to on- street running in the city centre.
The other major infrastructure development is the ‘second city crossing’ or 2CC, which will allow higher tram frequencies on many routes, typically every six minutes instead of 12. The city centre is currently a major bottleneck for trams, but the second line through its streets, preparatory work for which has been ongoing this year, will alleviate many of those problems.
Cushing said: “This year we’ll hit 30 million journeys a year - we’re carrying 50% more passengers than we were five years ago – and that’s still continuing upward. But there are currently restrictions through Victoria [while that station is rebuilt], restricting growth to some extent.
“We can’t go to the full service offering we want to go to until we get the 2CC built, when we can start to provide six-minute frequencies to most destinations. That will drive patronage again, because frequency attracts people.”
He thinks Metrolink’s success in getting cars off the roads helps to highlight the value of tram systems, and makes it easier to argue for further extensions. “Imagine tipping 30 million people a year onto the roads – whether in buses or not.
“The system couldn’t cope with it. It does attract a lot of people and gets a lot of cars off the roads.”
Peter Cushing
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opinion@publicsectorexecutive.com
public sector executive Oct/Nov 14 | 67
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