The funding comes from the government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) and was approved by the Bee Network committee on Thursday 22 February. It is part of a planned 147 million GBP package to maintain and upgrade the network through 2027.
Over the next 12 months, immediate priorities include track replacement in parts of the city centre, including Piccadilly Gardens and London Road, as well as on parts of the Altrincham and Bury Lines. This will help deliver quicker, smoother and more reliable journeys.
In addition, plans include modifications to the trams to implement safety systems such as sensors in the middle of double trams and speed warning devices. What’s more, a significant part of the communications network for Metrolink’s signalling and control systems will be replaced.
New electrical substations are also being added along parts of the Bury Line. This will provide additional power so that more double trams can run in the future.
Meanwhile, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is looking to replace the overhead lines on some of the older parts of the network such as the Bury Line.
The work will result in some short-term disruption, which will be communicated to passengers ahead of time.