MediaCityUK tram stop


MediaCityUK tram stop is a stop on Greater Manchester's Metrolink light rail system. It is located in MediaCityUK, in Salford, North West England; the stop serves MediaCityUK, The Lowry, the Imperial War Museum North and other parts of Salford Quays. It opened on 20 September 2010, as the terminus of a specially-constructed from the Eccles Line.

History

MediaCityUK is a development within Salford Quays, on the site of the former Manchester Docks. When an active port, the quays were served by numerous railway goods lines.
The Metrolink's extension into Salford Quays is part of a programme of urban renewal for the area around the Manchester Ship Canal. Plans for a light rail system into Salford Quays have existed since around 1987, initially as far as Broadway; the proposals evolved, with plans for a branch line to serve the Lowry arts centre. The MediaCity extension replaced that proposal.
Services to the station were suspended following an incident at the Harbour City crossover on the second day of operation. A driver reversed after only partially passing over spring-loaded points causing the tram to straddle two tracks and hit a central support column.

Vehicles

A new generation of light rail vehicles was ordered for Metrolink from the rail manufacturer Bombardier. Four additional LRVs were initially required to operate the MediaCity line. The Flexity Swift LRVs, designated 'M5000', are similar to the K5000 series used in Cologne and Bonn in Germany, and similar to the low-floor models used by London Tramlink.
The first delivery of LRVs from Bombardier arrived at Metrolink's Queens Road depot in July 2009 and was subjected to three months testing and driver training before entering service in the autumn.

Services

Service pattern

The station was originally served by a dedicated Piccadilly - MediaCityUK service during enhanced service. However, as of 28 January 2018, services were extended to operate between MediaCityUK and Etihad Campus during enhanced service every 12 minutes, with Eccles - Ashton services calling outside of these times. The Etihad Campus service was further extended to Ashton in January 2019 meaning a through service between MediaCityUK and Ashton during all hours of operation.

Connecting bus routes

MediaCityUK tram stop is served by Diamond Bus North West services 13, 73 & 79, which stops nearby within Salford Quays. Also, stopping nearby is Go North West service 53, travelling between Cheetham Hill & Salford Shopping Centre and Stagecoach Manchesterservice 50, linking Salford Shopping Centre in Pendleton, Salford Crescent railway station, Salford University, Salford Central railway station, Manchester and East Didsbury with Salford Quays and MediaCityUK.