Staff absences lead to reduced Metrolink service
Temporary changes should allow greater reliability during ‘pingdemic’.
A TEMPORARY timetable, with trams running at 12-minute intervals, was introduced across the Metrolink network in Greater Manchester from August 6, with the aim of allowing the system to better cope with the number of staff off work with coronavirus or having to self-isolate after coming into contact with people who had tested positive for the virus.
Transport for Greater Manchester said the so-called ‘pingdemic’ had presented “challenging circumstances” for employees of the system’s operator KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM) and they were continuing to work extremely hard to keep people moving.
The reduced service is expected to remain in place until the beginning of September, but TfGM says it will use all available vehicles to provide as much capacity as possible in the meantime and continue to run trams in pairs on the busiest routes, as well as additional services where possible at the busiest times.
Heat damage
A reduced timetable was also put in place on July 26 after damage was discovered on 43 trams during routine overnight inspections.
TfGM says the likely cause was the trams running over infrastructure which had been affected by the heat. A normal weekday timetable was reinstated the following day.
Over 20 trams were repaired and the remainder assessed and returned to service following inspection, although these are likely to receive some minor repairs when they are next scheduled for maintenance. KAM has increased its monitoring and will carry out further inspections during the next period of hot weather.
■ From July 26, temporary changes were also made to some Sheffield Supertram services due to the number of drivers having to self-isolate. Although Tram Train and Purple routes remained at their usual frequencies, Blue and Yellow routes reverted to a 20-minute interval off-peak service and up to 15-minute intervals at peak times.