Sandwich Technician
AJ Handley-Rowe -
10th November 2021
AJ Handley-Rowe -
10th November 2021 Trams to be suspended as tracks are replaced on a section of one of the world’s busiest light-rail routes
Emily Sergeant
Trams are set to be suspended this month as work to replace the tracks on a section of one of the busiest light-rail routes is carried out.
As the next phase of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network gets under way this month, essential track replacement work is set to be be carried out in a bid to make the network ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable’ for years to come, and this includes a section of track which is considered to be one of the busiest light-rail routes in the world.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that it will replace around 1.6km of track – some parts of which are more than 30 years old – at Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield, as well as working on a separate section on the Eccles line at the same time.
The track between Trafford Bar and St Peter’s Square, in particular, is one of the busiest sections of light-rail in the world, as one tram passes through every 30 seconds for 20 hours a day, seven days a week.
As the nature of the work required where the Eccles and Altrincham lines meet at Cornbrook is considered to be so ‘complex’, it will be the first time a type of specialist lifting equipment has been used in the UK.
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More than 3,000 tonnes of new rail and 800 new concrete sleepers will be fitted as part of the scheme, with a team of 70 engineers working across three sites throughout the summer to get the work done as ‘quickly and efficiently’ as possible.
Once installed, the track will be carefully adjusted and tested to ensure it meets strict safety standards and trams travel smoothly and efficiently along it.
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While the work is being done, no trams will run on the Eccles, Trafford Centre, and Altrincham lines.
Services on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines will terminate at Firswood, while services on the Rochdale line will terminate at Exchange Square.
As is to be expected, there will be some disruption on the affected lines – with replacement buses due to run between each required stop, accompanied by special event bus services running for the cricket at Old Trafford on 26 and 31 July.
“The work at Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield is taking place on one of the busiest stretches of tram track in the country,” explained Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM. “Some sections are more than 30 years old, with 40-tonne trams running every 30 seconds at peak times – that level wear and tear takes its toll, which is why this work is so important.
Read more:
- TfGM unveils ‘significant’ programme of Metrolink engineering works to run throughout 2026
- Trams are officially coming to Stockport as part of £2.5bn investment package
- Plans to build ‘modern’ underground train station at Manchester Piccadilly officially proposed
“It’s one of the most complex parts of the network to access, requiring a carefully planned approach to carry out the work safely and efficiently.
“We’re sorry for the disruption. We know it can be annoying, and while these essential upgrades take place we will do everything we can to keep people moving.”
Normal services are due to resume from Monday 3 August, but until then, everything you need to know is on the Bee Network website here.
Featured Image – Janus Boye
Kings of Leon at Co-op Live Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
American rock band Kings of Leon are making their way to Manchester for a second visit to Co-op Live as part of their current EU/UK arena tour.
Formed in 1999 by brothers Caleb, Nathan, Jared, plus their cousin Matthew Followill, the rock band has gone on to achieve nine top 40 singles and six UK number one albums.
The rockers have two singles in Spotify’s Billions Club, including their standout hit ‘Sex on Fire’, which has amassed over 2 billion streams and ‘Use Somebody’ with 1.2 billion – two tracks that helped skyrocket them from cult favourites here in Britain to global superstars.
This four-piece’s latest LP, Can We Please Have Fun, dropped mid-2024 and knowing how energetic crowds were at the previous Manc gig, it’s safe to say we’ve got this covered.
They even let us know the England score last time out (read our full review), too.
https://x.com/TheMancUK/status/1811324751656132860?s=20Gig guide – Kings of Leon at Co-op Live, Manchester
Kings of Leon UK tour dates
- Fri 3 July – Glasgow, UK – Bellahouston Park
- Sat 4 July – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
- Mon 6 July – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Are there any tickets left for Kings of Leon at Co-op Live?
If you’re wondering where you’ll ‘Find Me’ on Saturday 4 July, it is probably watching these four relatives play their two decades’ worth of hits at Co-op Live.
Don’t ‘Waste a Moment’ as there’s only a limited number of tickets left if you’re after catching a glimpse of Kings of Leon live – get yours HERE.
Kings of Leon setlist for 2026 UK tour
These American rockers have been performing all across Europe, switching up a couple of songs at each show; however, the hits below have featured at most of their appearances.
- Slow Night, So Long
- Waste a Moment
- Find Me
- On Call
- Radioactive
- The Bucket
- Revelry
- Manhattan
- Use Somebody
- Wait For M
- Split Screen
- Closer
- Molly’s Chambers
- Razz
- MyParty
- Supersoaker
- Fans
- Back Down South
- Seen
- Pyro
- Black Thumbnail
- To Space
- Knocked Up
- Sex on Fire
What are the stage times for Kings of Leon in Manchester?
Doors for Kings of Leon at Co-op Live in Manchester are set to open at 6pm with a kick-off time of 7pm from a huge indie rock band.
Supporting the US rockers is a band who have received comparisons to Kings of Leon, the loud-and-proud Scottish stars The Snuts, known for their tracks like ‘Glasgow’, ‘Elephants’ and ‘Maybe California’.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
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- Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
- Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
- Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
- Ashton Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
- Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
- Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
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Read more:
- Rochdale’s popular Feel Good Festival is set to return this summer
- The best Northern music artists of the month | June 2026
- A brand-new live music series with big Northern names is coming to Blackpool
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied)/Raph_PH (Flickr/WikiCommons)/Audio North
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