Carry that weight

RAIL’s verdict: It clearly makes good business sense to have a strong customer base, but Manchester Metrolink appears to have taken this advice rather too literally in this video captured by @JBwol at Brooklands station in Sale on December 4.

With the tram driver unable to close the doors of the heavily loaded morning rush hour service, this 12-second clip shows commuters pushing the tram free of the platform edge, after it became stuck.

Passengers pushed the tram for about ten seconds, according to witnesses, until a member of staff said “thank you very much” over the tannoy and the stricken tram continued on its journey.

RAIL contacted Transport for Greater Manchester to ask if this was standard operating procedure. It said that in order to be accessible for wheelchair and pushchair access, there is only a small gap between the tram and platform. One of the downsides to this is that if the track or tram is out by only a few millimetres, problems can occur with the doors opening or closing on a fully loaded tram. The vehicle and track have now been checked to ensure there are no underlying issues that need to be addressed.

TfGM’s Head of Metrolink Danny Vaughan added: “I’d like to thank customers for rolling up their sleeves to help keep Greater Manchester moving. I’m sure they will be pleased to know it isn’t something we expect customers to do on a regular basis.”