Work has begun on a major programme of tram track replacement between Oldham and Manchester as part of a £150m investment in the Metrolink network. Trams have been suspended for a week from Victoria through to Oldham and Rochdale as Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) carries out essential upgrades designed to make journeys smoother and safer.

The work is focused on the line around Monsall, Newton Heath and Moston, where speed restrictions have been in place for eight months. Trams had been limited to 10mph on this section due to the deteriorating condition of the tracks. Once the work is complete, the line speed will increase back to 15mph, cutting journey times for passengers travelling between Oldham, Rochdale and the city centre.

A digger has already been on site at Monsall tram stop tearing up the old surface ready for new foundations. The project involves replacing worn sections of track, improving drainage, and correcting the alignment and level of the track where needed. Around 290 new concrete sleepers, 2,000 tonnes of pea gravel and more than 5,000 tonnes of ballast are being used to rebuild the line.

Ian Davies, TfGM’s network director for Metrolink, said the six-month planning process had been necessary to find a suitable window for the two-week closure. “We’ve been running at 10mph along this section of track for eight months now because the track had reached such a state where it needed replacing,” he said. “It was never unsafe but we’ve realised that the journeys had slowed down to such an extent that we really were affected by journey times in this section. We’ve tried to replicate, as much as we can, the tram frequency with bus replacements. We’ve not had too many complaints.”

The timing of the work was also chosen to coincide with repairs on the section at Derker, which suffered a landslip in summer 2024. By carrying out both projects at the same time, TfGM has avoided a second closure of the East Didsbury to Rochdale line later in the year.

The track replacement is expected to be completed by Friday, May 29, when normal tram services are due to resume. During the closure, trams to East Didsbury are starting from Exchange Square, and a dedicated bus replacement service is running between Victoria and Rochdale Town Centre. Frequent Bee Network bus services also serve stops near each tram stop, but tram tickets will only be accepted on the replacement bus, not on numbered bus services.

Passengers using Monsall tram stop during the works are advised to access the platforms via Ruislip Avenue or Upper Monsall Street, as it is not possible to cross the tracks while work is underway.

For Oldham passengers, the disruption means longer journeys while the replacement buses are in operation, but TfGM says the result will be a more reliable and comfortable service for the thousands of people who rely on the Metrolink for travel across north Manchester and into Oldham and Rochdale.