Metrolink has pre-emptively cancelled all tram services between Bury and Manchester Victoria today, Tuesday 19 July.
TfGM has said that there is ‘too great a risk’ of passengers getting stuck on trams – which have no air conditioning – in the extreme temperatures that are forecast today.
The service was suspended at rush hour yesterday with some people saying they were stranded on board stationary trams for up to an hour.
The ‘excessive temperatures’ that hit the region have damaged overhead lines on the Bury line, Metrolink has said.
While engineers have worked through the night to repair the damage, there are fears that today’s even higher temperatures will cause further disruption.
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Metrolink has suspended the Bury line. Credit: TfGM
TfGM said: “Following the damage caused to the overhead line from excessive temperatures on Monday, there will be no tram service operating between Bury and Victoria on Tuesday 19 July.
“While we will be working through the night, we cannot guarantee the service given the higher temperatures forecast.
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“There is also too great a risk of passengers becoming stranded on trams in what are expected to be even hotter temperatures.
Last night, one disgruntled passenger said on Twitter: “Stuck on a tram for the past hour roasting in this heat and nothing’s getting done. How long before people start passing out?! Gotta love metrolink.”
They later added: “Can’t believe how long it took, a lot of people had no water and were starting to feel faint.”
@MCRMetrolink stuck on a tram for the past hour roasting in this heat and nothing's getting done. How long before people start passing out?! Gotta love metrolink🤦♀️😡
Another wrote: “A bit of hot weather and the @MCRMetrolink falls apart. Tram stuck at Victoria, no trams to Bury and Metrolink staff can’t give you any help. Avoid the tram!!!”
Someone else said: “Hello, do you guys know when services will be running again on the Rochdale line, been stuck inside the tram between Firswood and Trafford bar with no update. Safe to say it’s getting VERY hot in here?”
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Other lines along the Metrolink network are operating, but on a 12-minute timetable with ‘as many double services as possible to provide additional capacity and space on board’.
Featured image: TfGM
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‘Enough is enough’ – Andy Burnham issues emphatic statement on Avanti West Coast nationalisation
Emily Sergeant
Avanti West Coast is set to be nationalised from next spring, the Government has confirmed.
After it was revealed back in 2024 to be the UK’s most ‘unreliable’ train operator, according to a shocking study, with 15.36% of its trains cancelled or delayed on average, it has now been confirmed that Avanti – which runs the West Coast Main Line from Manchester to London – will be transferred over to public ownership in March 2027.
Before this, the company had previously been given until 1 April 2023 to continue running the route, but was told it needed to ‘drastically improve’ its services if it was to stand any chance of having the contract extended further beyond that date.
Despite many customers continuing to voice discontent with level of services during this time, the Department for Transport (DfT) under the previous Conservative government deemed ‘significant improvements had been made’.
Avanti West Coast is set to be nationalised from next spring / Credit: Avanti (Press Images)
Now though, in the year 2026 with a Labour government in power at Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the helm, it has been confirmed that Avanti West Coast will be nationalised.
The Government says the services will be ‘run in the interests of passengers, not private sector shareholders’.
“From 7 March, taxpayers will no longer be paying fees to a private operator. Instead, every penny will be spent for the benefit of passengers,” the Labour Party said in a statement.
Andy Burnham has also issued his own emphatic statement on the matter.
Enough is enough.
For years, people have been expected to put up with Avanti’s cancellations, delays, overcrowding, and a service that has failed them time and time again.
So my Labour government is bringing Avanti West Coast into public ownership at the earliest opportunity in…
He wrote on X: “Enough is enough. For years, people have been expected to put up with Avanti’s cancellations, delays, overcrowding, and a service that has failed them time and time again.
“So my Labour government is bringing Avanti West Coast into public ownership at the earliest opportunity in March next year. That means passengers, not shareholders, will come first.
“More investment, fewer delays, and a renewed focus on getting the basics right.
“We’re putting essential services back in public hands and building a railway that actually works for the people who use it.”
Andy Mellors, who is the Managing Director at Avanti West Coast, added in his own statement: “Over the coming months, we’ll work closely with the Government to ensure a seamless transition into public ownership while remaining focused on delivering for our customers and communities.”
Featured Image – Avanti (Press Image)
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Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Daisy Jackson -
19th July 2022 
