The Manchester Metrolink system is one of the first modern tramway systems after Tyne and Wear (1980) and now includes Sheffield (1994), Birmingham (1999), Nottingham (2004) and Edinburgh (2014).
Didsbury Village tram stop is on the old Midland Railway line that ran from the Manchester Central via Didsbury, Heaton Mersey and Cheadle Heath onto the Peak District and London St Pancras. It was opened in 1880. The line was closed completely in 1969.
In 1982, the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive concluded that an over-ground metropolitan light rail system (Metrolink) was the most economical solution to improving Greater Manchester's public transport network
Phase 1 of Metrolink (1992) from Bury to Altrincham route via the city centre, with a spur to Manchester Piccadilly station was created by converting existing heavy railway lines to light rail operation and laying on-street tracks across Manchester city centre to unite the lines under one integrated system
Phase 2 an extension from Cornbrook to Eccles was officially opened on 9 January 2001
Phase 3a extended the line to MediaCityUK and opened on 20 September 2010. The East Manchester Metrolink extension opened to Droylsden on 11th February 2013 and to Ashton-under-Lyne on 9th October 2013. On 28 February 2013 the line was opened to Rochdale station and is now extended to Rochdale Town Centre. On 23 May 2013 the link to East Didsbury was opened.
Phase 3b: The 14.5km opened early on Monday 3 November 2014. A second city crossing from Deansgate to Victoria Station construction is underway.
Any errors are all my own, please e-mail for corrections.
For more information see: http://www.metrolink.co.uk/
I hope to get this placed for SideTracked day (10th August).
I love the way that the train announcement for 'Didsbury Village' is in a broad Mancunian dialect.
The cache is now a magnetic nano. This is the fourth type I've tried here!