An illustrated history and up-to-date review of Manchester’s Metrolink light rail network, compiled by Today’s Railways Europe Assistant Editor, Alan Yearsley.
When the Manchester Metrolink system opened in 1992 it was the UK’s first new light rail network and the first on-street tramway in a major UK city since the closure of the Glasgow system in 1962. It also marked the return of trams to the streets of Manchester for the first time since the city’s original tramway system closed in 1949.
Manchester’s Metrolink is the story of Manchester’s pioneering Metrolink light rail system, which with 99 stops and 65 miles of track, is by far the most extensive light rail system in the UK.
The book begins with a brief look at Manchester’s original tramway and today’s heritage tramway in Heaton Park. It then looks at the never-realised light rail and monorail schemes of the 1960s and the ill-fated Picc-Vic Tunnel project of the 1970s.
This is followed by an examination of the Metrolink project from planning and design to construction and operation. It examines the original and present-day tram fleets and describes how the network operates, concluding with a look at proposals for tram-train operations and other potential future developments.
Manchester’s Metrolink Includes many previously unpublished photographs covering the entire period from the construction and opening of the system to the beginning of the 2020s. The photographs are complemented by reproductions of original documentation and publicity material. 96 pages. Cover Price £19.95.