Manchester Transport Sucks!

TIF Bid highlights from MEN politics blog.

2008-07-03T03:28:00.000-07:00

I like the MEN politics blog. It has a lot more content than the actual, you know, MEN.

Some excerpts from the debate:

From Mark Hunter, Lib Dem from Cheadle:

What makes it even more invidious is that the people in Stockport borough will not get the promised public transport improvements - not in the foreseeable future, anyway.

That's interesting. So Stockport won't see anything from this?

Andrew Gwynne, Labour for Reddish and Denton:

what Greater Manchester proposes is a two-ring system with a £2 charge for passing the M60 outer ring and £1 charge for passing the inner ring with a further £2 charge to return over the M60. Charges would apply only at peak times and in the direction of the congestion. That takes no account of local travel and of allowing communities to operate in a joined-up way, as they have always done... I have absolutely no answer to the young mum who came to my advice bureau recently. She lives in Audenshaw, one of the towns sliced in two by the M60, works in Ashton-under-Lyne, and travels away from the peak traffic flow in the morning and evening, so ordinarily would not be charged, but she has to drop her daughter off at a local private day nursery, which is in her community of Audenshaw and less than quarter of a mile from where she lives. Because it is on the opposite side of the M60, she would be charged £2 a day under the proposals. When she told me that that will not tackle congestion because she is not causing it, and that it will merely add £10 a week to her child care bill, I had no answer, and the Greater Manchester scheme has no acceptable answer either.

That's pretty interesting as well. People essentially crossing the road will get screwed by the proposal. I wonder if it will be the same in Urmston for the Trafford Centre?

There's more here.

It seems, overwhelmingly, like the main MP in favor of the proposal is the one from Manchester Central. Most of the other quotes came from MPs from boroughs outside of Manchester. The ones that would be impacted. I already know the useless ones from Wigan are steadfastly behind the whole thing, despite the dreadful train service.

The thing that gets me though, is the unhealthy and misplaced optimism coming from the politicians supporting it. I mean, the transport network needs investment (that's why Manchester Transport Sucks!) But surely a TIF bid isn't the only way? And why is so much money spent on London when Manchester is suffering?

Eccles line still delayed. Metrolink tells the truth!

2008-07-03T03:21:00.000-07:00

Yeah, no.

METROLINK SERVICE UPDATE

Tram service returning to normal following an accident yesterday.

Just talked to one of the other guys who works in my building. One of his clients is at 30 minutes waiting for a tram. I mean, that is normal... but not what they advertise...

Metrolink handles second set of severe delays with great customer service!

2008-07-03T02:08:00.000-07:00

Yeah, NO.

Arrived at Deansgate/G-Mex about 8:45 and my Eccles tram didn't come. 'OH WELL' I thought, there would be another at around 9:00. Right? Right? Well. NO. By about 9:20 I hopped on a tram going into the city centre so I could board something because Deansgate wasn't looking good.

Finally got on a tram about 9:35am. So, 50 minutes of delays. Not a single announcement and the customer service lines were too busy to get through. What I found most satisfying about my journey was the plethora of Altrincham trams! It was just Eccles that was screwed up. Again.

As usual the website shows the service running as normal. The thing is, that's true.

So, my 18 mile journey took me 2 hours this morning. I set out from my house at 7:45. :)

Oh Metrolink, how you suck.

Good news!

2008-06-30T10:00:00.001-07:00

Eccles trams are running again!

Metrolink still handling derailment in professional and efficient manner.

2008-06-30T07:25:00.000-07:00

Ha-ha.

Well, no, I take that back. They are actually publishing information regarding where to catch buses and things. Not exactly, you know, efficient. But at least kind of competent?

There is currently major disruption to Metrolink services following a tram derailment last night near the St Peter’s Square stop in Manchester city centre. Tram services are continuing to run between Altrincham and G-Mex, and between Bury and Piccadilly, but passengers may face delays. Services to Eccles have been replaced with a bus service from Piccadilly Gardens. Passengers can also use Metrolink tickets on the 33 bus service between Eccles and Stand P at Piccadilly Gardens. And a shuttle bus service is running between Whitworth Street West, near the G-Mex stop, and Stand R at Piccadilly Gardens.

So, I think this means you can get to Salford Quays if you go to Piccadilly Gardens? Tomorrow will be fun.

From the MEN:

PASSENGERS have been warned they face more travel chaos tomorrow as repair work continues.

The tram left the tracks near the Princess Street and careered into poles carrying power lines which supply the service.

Although the crashed vehicle is expected to be moved later today, engineers say it will take at least 24-hours to fix the cables and restore power.

Passengers on board the tram, which had been laid on especially because of last night's Radiohead gig at Old Trafford cricket ground, described "sardine-like" conditions on board.

And, apparently the trams weren't carrying 30 people as previously stated. More like 300 thanks to the customers from Radiohead. The GMPTE/Metrolink won't comment on tram overcrowding and their lack of service provisions though. Naturally.

Remember though, this isn't the first time this happened in 2008! 2 derailments in 6 months. Gosh!

Metrolink (no longer says 'Service Running As Normal.'

And More tram chaos expected

Photographs of the crash (This guy is super anal about copyright. Whatev.)

Metrolink handling derailment in a professional and efficient manner.

2008-06-30T01:53:00.001-07:00

Wait! That's a joke! Just like everything Metrolink does.

So, I first heard about the derailment City Centre tram chaos on the news this morning. But, I thought, 'surely there is some kind of replacement bus to Salford Quays?!' Well, apparently there was, but one we were told not to use because it's unreliable. Our temp used it.

I paid 6.80 in taxi fare to get to work.

Waited for a half an hour and had the replacement bus service pass us. Had Metrolink telling us we shouldn't gripe because 20 people were injured? Really? The news and MEN said 3! Not that I don't feel for them but their incompetence with track maintenance doesn't excuse their incompetence with providing a replacement rail service.

Manchester Transport Sucks is emigrating in August! MTS can't wait.

Stay inside today commuters!

Fare dodger advertisements

2008-04-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

Manchester Buses posted an awesome word search for fare dodgers. And guess what? The GMPTE are being positively demure.

I found:
Pig
Criminal
Scally
Thief
Sponger

Any others? I also found hue but I think that may be an accident.

Inadequate track caused derailment on 17th of January

2008-04-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

I saw all this, I have a nice view of Pomona from my office.

The 28-page report states: “The derailment was caused by the poor condition of the track, which resulted in the leading wheelset being derailed.

“Contributory factors include deficiencies in track inspection and maintenance, the design of the track and the contractual framework surrounding audits and repairs of the infrastructure.

“The contractual arrangements between Serco and GMPTE may have been causal to the derailment as they gave rise to a situation where Serco had no financial incentive to carry out repairs on the track at Pomona.”

Track’s poor condition to blame for tram derailment, report says

And yet, no announcement of track work on the Eccles line from Stagecoach either. Hmmm.

Attack on Metrolink at Timperley

2008-04-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

Timperley is on the Altrincham line!

So, all over the trams on the Eccles line there are signs promising increased police patrols and security. I have yet to see a single officer unaccompanied by a fare inspector.

I guess revenue is more important than violent crime?

A mother-of-two has told how she "thought she was going to die" after she was kicked unconscious by a gang of youths on her tram journey home.

Julie Pickford, 47, had a fractured eye socket and severe cuts and bruises after being beaten by a gang of teenagers on the tram from Manchester.

Mrs Pickford said a youth was throwing popcorn at her face and when she asked him to stop, she was attacked.

A 15-year-old girl has been arrested and released on bail, police said.

She boarded the Metrolink tram at Timperley and was travelling home after a night out.

She was punched in the face and fell to the floor where she was then beaten by others in the gang.

She added: "The police admitted to me that there had been trouble all night from these youths.

"Why did the police let the youths on knowing that there would be trouble? They (the police) should have been on the tram."

Pick pockets and now violence. Awful.

Woman 'feared gang-attack death'

Passengers on Altrincham to Bury line happy.

2008-04-09T03:33:00.001-07:00

I think the GMPTE wins for the most misleading title... EVER.

Satisfaction levels with Metrolink are now neck and neck with cars, according to a new survey of people living near the tram network.

Transport bosses at Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE), which owns the Metrolink system, commissioned polling company Ipsos MORI to interview 1,600 residents close to the Bury and Altrincham lines.

Of the people who gave an opinion, 89% were satisfied with Metrolink services and 86% were satisfied with travelling by car. An identical survey carried out before last summer's track upgrades found that satisfaction levels were at 79% for Metrolink and 88% for cars.

Shock! Horror! People are happy with a line with sort of reliable service and upgraded lines! YOU DON'T SAY.

They completely left Eccles out of it. I can't imagine why.

Metrolink now neck and neck with cars

9/4/2008 delays

2008-04-09T01:39:00.000-07:00

Hoooooo boy. Last night was horrific.

1. Got to Metrolink stop around 5:30pm and hear the dreaded voice of Julie over the tannoy.
'Due to a failed vehicle earlier in the day, the Eccles line is experiencing severe delays.' Ok, so, what does that mean then?

2. Decided to wait it out and then the message changed.
'Due to traffic on Eccles New Road, the Eccles line is experiencing severe delays.'

So, missing trams and now traffic. Oh hooray!

A tram eventually turned up around 6:10, which was too crammed to get on by time it got down to me. The next one came around 6:20, by which time the next train would be at 7:30pm.

Decided to make the most of it and met my husband for dinner in town. Upon which I'd discovered a bus had overturned in Eccles and some woman left her car and was killed by a lorry on the M62.

We finally got home at 9:00pm, 3.5 hours after I left work.

>:(

West Midlands pulls out of competition for transport money

2008-04-08T03:28:00.000-07:00

I find this whole bidding system thing really bizarre. Surely if a council needs a larger grant to improve public transport, they should just get it? Why should authorities have to fish for money like the private sector does? It seems a little stingy and more than a little unfair.

But since Greater Manchester's main 'competition' dropped out, it looks like it's coming here.

Greater Manchester's bid to pay for public transport improvements with public money has been given a boost by the unexpected withdrawal of its main rival, the West Midlands, from the competition.

It means Manchester is likely to be awarded £1.2 billion from the government's Transport Innovation Fund, plus a loan of £1.8 billion, which must be repaid with congestion charge revenues.

The West Midlands pulled out of the race after decided it did not want a regional road toll. Apart from Manchester, Cambridge is the only other contender.

Unexpected boost for congestion charge supporters

Is congestion actually falling in Manchester?

2008-04-08T03:08:00.000-07:00

I don't think congestiion is falling. But it's an interesting thought. Below we have yet another local MP saying they're being blackmailed by Whitehall.

BLACKLEY MP, Graham Stringer, has accused the government of "blackmailing" councils into introducing controversial pay as you drive schemes to ease congestion.

Along with other Labour and Tory MPs, Mr Stringer claims they are being offered more cash for public transport, including Metrolink routes, only if they bring in congestion charging.

"We have got £500M towards a £1.5bn tram scheme and the government have said that if we want the extra £1bn we will in practice have to have a congestion charge.

"I don’t think that’s fair when one looks at the investment that is being made in London," said Mr Stringer.

"The case for investing in the tram and train systems in Greater Manchester stands on its own and a separate case would have to be made for introducing a congestion charge."

I think he's right though. Years of subpar investment and bad management have left the train and tram systems in a dire place. Something drastic needs to happen with or without a congestion charge.

We are being blackmailed to bring in toll tax - M.P.

Marks and Spencer moving in to further disrupt the Eccles line.

2008-04-08T02:48:00.000-07:00

The building in that photo on the left is the almost completed Metro building. It's pretty nice. Though, I do kind of miss some open space near the tram stop. But, as this is At The Forefront Of Regeneration Manchester, that space required a building rather urgently.

Marks and Spencer, according to rumors, are scoping it out. I guess it paid off for some developer.

The retailer has identified five sites — four in Manchester and one on Salford Quays — and is aiming to narrow the choice down to two by the end of the month. The company has issued a request for proposals (RFP) through advisers CB Richard Ellis.

The five developments on the shortlist are understood to be Wilson Bowden's Belvedere; Langtree's 40 Springardens; Argent's Three Piccadilly Place and Allied London's Spinningfields, as well as HBG's Metro at Exchange Quay.

Dear Marks and Spencer,

Please don't move more staff out here. It is hard enough to get home at night. What you don't know about plans to extend the Metrolink is they still aren't getting rid of the broken cigar tubes currently on the line. Your staff will be late, tired and pissy by time they go get to work (if ever.) Please check into city centre space. The Quays are bad and to be avoided.

Thank you.

Marks & Spencer seeks city centre office space

Jobs: GMPTE Economic Advisor

2008-04-08T02:39:00.000-07:00

Oh man. Hey, do you guys like my new graphics? The last one was brought to you by an advanced program called MSPaint! I have to say though, for hosting, I've always loved Flickr. :)

On to the job description:

Providing strategic advice to the body in charge of strategy and investment decisions relating to public transport within Greater Manchester, ranging from the buses, trains and Metrolink to the Transport Innovation Fund bid and its plans for congestion charging.

Who writes these things? Strategic advice to the body in charge of strategy? What does that even mean?

I love how they tacked on the congestion charging thing into the body of the job advertisement. Pretty much decided then?

What Manchester does today, the rest of the country tends to follow, especially where regeneration and city governance is concerned. The focus is now very firmly on public transport, so the person who gets this job will be blazing a trail at the forefront of change. Make a success of it and a lucrative future as a consultant beckons.

I pretty much laughed out loud at this. Right, because Manchester is such a pinnacle of public transport right? My friends in London think Manchester public transport is bad. Blaizing a trail to the forefront of change! This isn't a god damned gold rush, you're telling a group of councils how to spend their money. And hey, guess what, if you do well, you can be an overpaid consultant wasting tax payers' money even more. Brilliant.

TheTIF bid is high risk and any number of things could go wrong. Meanwhile the economic adviser will have to keep an eye on the day job, which involves managing the relationship between the GMPTE and the widely differing requirements of the Department for Transport, the Office of Fair Trading, local and national operators and the business community. Oh, and the fares have to be kept down.

I did laugh out loud at this. Fares have to be kept down? Like that's a concern now? My 122 pound season ticket begs to differ.

Crain's Manchester business jobby thingie.

Delays 7/4/2008

2008-04-08T02:31:00.000-07:00

Evening Eccles tram was quite bad. Got crushed until I made good use of my elbows. >:(

Evening trains to Southport via Atherton were also a bit messed up apparently. Police chasing some chavs around Walkden! Later on they were on the tracks. Significantly different from the train showing up early (!!!!) yesterday morning.

Full of indignation! Delays 2/4/08

2008-04-03T02:17:00.000-07:00

I stopped tracking them for a while. Riding the Metrolink drove me into despair, despair I tell you. But I think now is a good time to remind the Internet that Stagecoach Metrolink and Northern Rail are horrendous forms of transport.

Trains and Trams! Don't Do It!

AM: 8:13 Southport to Manchester Victoria, 35 minutes late thanks to a problem attaching extra carriages at Wigan. Thankfully someone had a shred of intelligence and managed to one of the trains to the 8:35. Was still 36 minutes late to work though, partially thanks to the brain dead ticket inspector at Deansgate who either failed reading comprehension or was being a dick. Take your pick, both are equally likely in my experience.

5:32 tram from Exchange Quay to Piccadilly was rammed. That pretty much can only mean that the earlier 5:20 didn't turn up. (Approximate times, tram riders aren't good enough for real timetables.)

Manchester Confidential sticks it to Stagecoach Metrolink!

2008-04-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

It's nice to see someone besides me, the MEN and Councillor Clague talking about how awful Metrolink is:

Terminal illness
Sleuth has been shocked to hear about the thousands of passengers left stranded by the inefficiencies of British public transport. Huge groups of angry and inconvenienced passengers have been made to re-arrange journeys as they simply tried to take off for work or leisure. A Metrolink spokesperson said: “I don’t know what people expect, there are bound to be teething problems in a brand new system which is only 16 years old. Passengers need to show patience whilst we tweak the system for the four thousandth time. We expect it all to be complete by the time people born on the opening day of 6 April 1992 are pensionable. Terminal 5 will have some way to go before it catches up with us.”

I know, it's only been 16 years! So impatient!

They've also got a QA going to Stagecoach. Hurrah!

Take part in mediacity consultation

2008-03-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

Of course the trams will only go to Cornbrook! Rail links aren't important at all. :/

GMPTE consulation on Cornbrook to Mediacity tram plans

Manchester Confidential takes on Metrolink's ticket machines.

2008-03-28T06:05:00.000-07:00

I am so tempted to print this out and leave it everywhere for everyone to see. What angers me even more about all this is the presence of the Greater Manchester police when they are checking tickets. For the most part they just collar commuters who, for whatever reason, didn't manage to grab a ticket.

And they have the time to be rent-a-cops because Manchester is so crime free right?

Folks will recognize this story and the comments. If they don't know the guy, they know the situation.

Paul Clegg was recently at Old Trafford Metrolink station with a handful of change. He fed into the ticket machine a variety of £1, 50p and 5p coins for his £3 peak return to town. The machine wouldn’t have anything to do with the 5ps and spat them out. Clegg tried a £5 note, it went into the note dispenser, paused tantalisingly and then rumbled out again.

A tram was coming, there were no shops nearby for change, and Clegg (name changed) had a business appointment. Sod it, he thought, what more can I do? He got on the tram without a ticket. At G-Mex he was collared by an inspector. No excuse was admissable, you can’t travel without a valid ticket, he was told.

“I suggested that I pay the £3 that I’d tried to pay," Clegg told Confidential. "The inspector could then check with CCTV to make sure I was being honest. He refused and I had to pay £10 there and then, or £20 later via cheque or credit card if I couldn’t do that. As I only had £8 that’s what I had to do.

Metrolink ticket inspectors are either on some pretty good or pretty bad commission. Don't you think? Bunch of shark-eyed greedy bastards that they are. It seriously takes a special breed of person to do something like the above.

What's even better about the below link is how Stagecoach doesn't think there's anything wrong with the machines.

Lots more angry commuters in the comments!

Manchester Confidential: Making crooks of us

Confusion about Rochdale's Metrolink

2008-03-28T05:53:00.000-07:00

Oh man, if ever there was a laugh out loud situation involving the mess that is Greater Manchester public transport, it's this.

When I moved here 7 years ago there were notices at Salford Crescent letting commuters know that Soon! There! Would! Be! Trams! In! Rochdale! or something equally effusive and excessively punctuated.

Those notices are long gone in exchange for ones telling us doors close 30 seconds early (hahahahaha) and be careful when the platform is wet.

Where or where did Rochdale and Oldham's trams go?

METROLINK remains the vital missing link in Oldham’s regeneration jigsaw – with no end in sight to the delays that have dogged the project since inception.

The Oldham Beyond report of 2004 hailed the light-rail network as having the potential to turn the town "into a 21st century success story".

But although today’s ‘1000 Days’ report cites progress in submissions for funding, there is still no firm timetable for even the first piece of track to be laid.

There we go then.

Oldham Advertiser: So where are those trams?

Richard Baum goes to meeting, doesn't like what he sees.

2008-03-28T05:46:00.001-07:00

Let's hear it for honesty in politics! Richard Baum is a Lib Dem MP in Bury. His blog is pretty decent, unlike what we've gotten used to by every other politician (save Boris Johnson.)

What I found most unsurprisng and depressing was his account of councillors squabbling and generally being childish.

Last night’s full Council meeting was, in large parts, the usual depressing slanging match between Councillors who really should know better. Watching grown men (and women) making snide remarks and childish comments across a room, when there are people with real problems in the Borough, is not pleasant.

Nice.

And more evidence of how confused public transport issues are in Greater Manchester:

A couple of people raised the issue of the toilets at Bury interchange last night. I raised it again this morning at the meeting of the Transport Network Committee of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority. The toilets are, it turns out, the responsibility of the Council, and they really do need sorting out because they’re in quite a state. Not the right welcome to the Borough for people arriving by bus or Metrolink.

So, the Bury interchange toilets are the responsibility of the council, not the partnership of councils that run public transport? I'm so confused.

It [Metrolink] is still, in my opinion, far too expensive, dirty, unsafe and unreliable. On Friday I stood waiting for a very long time at Bowker Vale, a station so decrepit that it looks nigh-on abandoned, and was genuinely scared by some of the anti-social behaviour by some people who treat the network like their own uncontrolled playground. I have raised the issue many times, and in other parts of the network there are efforts to improve both the condition and the safety of stations. The Prestwich section seems not to benefit, and although improved ticket machines and CCTV are in the pipeline, they aren’t coming quickly enough.

He's just lucky he wasn't robbed.

Richard Baum: Council and Transport Network Committee

It's been a good few months!

2008-03-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty busy since January, including a two week trip back to the US, where I rode some light rail and it showed up! Consistently! On time! And clean! With police! And accurate announcements! And accurate displays! Suffice to say that transport isn't getting any better in Manchester.

I discovered that my last chance train, the 17:55 from Deansgate to Barrow was removed. How lovely is that? The staff at Deansgate told me that it was due to platform work, but I'm somewhat hesitant to believe that. Sure enough, it no longer shows up in the time tables. That means that if (when) the trams are delayed I have even less chance of getting home at a reasonable time.

Thanks GMPTE/GMPTA! Thanks Worst group! Not only did you screw over my morning commute a few years ago by removing the 8:55 from Salford Crescent to Hazel Grove, you've now messed up my evening one. It wasn't for passenger numbers either, there was a good contingent of people that caught the 17:55 from Deansgate. It was a fairly popular connection.

I can't wait to move somewhere where this nonsense doesn't happen.

Travel Log 28/1/08, tram accident

2008-01-29T02:29:00.001-08:00

Some excitement out in Exchange Quay last night! Some idiot drove out of the car park and ran into the tram!. Happened around 17:20. Some engineers came out and wiggled things, looked perplexed and then sent it off to Cornbrook. It went back to the depot last night.

So, expect delays on the Eccles line! (As usual)

17:55 Deansgate to Barrow and Blackpool delayed by 10 minutes. Missed my connection >:(
Bury line delays, waited for 10 minutes around 18:00, no sign of a tram.

Repeat of Friday, except with some entertainment.

Lots of engineering works around Manchester this weekend!

2008-01-28T07:03:00.000-08:00

Northern Rail's list.

Looks like it's going to be tough to get in from Wigan and Bolton on Saturday. Shame too, I was going to take the train to Stoke. As it is, money to the tax man and not to the train companies. Car it is.