Easter & May Bank Holiday engineering work to affect city centre rail services and roads

Customers using weekend and bank holiday train services that run to and from Manchester Victoria, Oxford Road and Piccadilly stations are warned to expect disruption between 13 April and 01 May.

A number of city centre roads will also be affected with journeys taking longer and bus diversions in operation.

Network Rail is connecting Manchester’s Victoria and Piccadilly stations with a new rail link – the Ordsall Chord.

Network Rail needs to take over the rail lines that serve Manchester’s city centre stations so they can safely and efficiently carry out the engineering work.

The work includes removing and replacing the bridge at Water Lane, strengthening the Castlefield viaduct, laying new track and realigning existing track, and adding overhead line equipment and signals.

Roads around where the rail work is taking place – Chapel Street, Yorkshire Street, Johnson Street, Browncross Street and Quay Street – will be affected by local diversions between 07 – 28 April.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has created a special travel information page on its website to help keep people in Greater Manchester moving while the work is taking place: https://beta.tfgm.com/travel-updates/ordsall-chord

TfGM’s Demand Management and Safer Travel Manager, John Fryer, said: “If you are using train services which run to or through Manchester Victoria, Oxford Road and Piccadilly stations, or travelling in the surrounding areas, you could be affected by Ordsall Chord engineering work.

“To help minimise disruption and ensure a smoother journey our advice is to plan ahead, be prepared, and think about all your travel choices.

“We strongly advise that people check the National Rail and Network Rail website for regular service updates and information.”

May's European Cycle Challenge - do you want to take part?

Please help us get Greater Manchester on the European Cycling Map this May!

The European Cycling Challenge (ECC) is a European-wide, ‘urban cycling’ competition taking place annually every May. The challenge was initially a small pilot in Bologna, with around 70 people, but is now one of the biggest European cycling events. In 2016, 52 cities from 17 Countries joined the Challenge, and 46,000 people cycled 4,000,000 km during May. Greater Manchester is taking part for the first time, led and promoted by Transport for Great Manchester in conjunction with cycling, physical activity and health partners and other stakeholders across the region.  We’d like to get existing cyclists getting out more in May, and lapsed cyclists dusting their bikes down and joining in – all of which will help increase physical activity throughout May and raise the profile of cycling as a beneficial exercise. 

Participants track km cycled (leisure and commuter cycling is fine but not sports-related), with a free tracking App which measures distance cycled within Greater Manchester boundaries (in our case) and through online leader boards they can check in real-time.

Raffle and spot prizes will be awarded throughout the month, including a star prize of £300 in shopping vouchers (thanks to WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff)

In order to get Greater Manchester firmly on the European cycling map, and as high up the leader boards as possible, we need your help!

 1.       Promote the challenge throughout your organisation and encourage your employees to register (details below)

2.       Let us know if you’d like us to set you up as a ‘sub team’ so you can compete with other businesses – this will just mean your employees choose your team when they register and you will be able to see how you are faring against other organisations. Let’s get some competition going!

Either way, all km tracked will still all go towards the Greater Manchester total.

Registration is possible via the Naviki App (available now)  and the competition officially begins on the 1st May. The ECC will also provide valuable GPS data on movements and routes travelled, which can be used to influence cycling network and infrastructure planning.

We have a number of A5 flyers and A4/A3 posters that we can send these out on a 1st come, 1st served basis within the next few days. Please click here for a printable version of the poster for you to use in the meantime.

For more information on the challenge: www.cyclingchallenge.eu/

 APP: Naviki :

·         Register & log in

·         Go to ‘settings’

·         Go to ‘contests’

·         Select ‘ECC2017’

·         Select ‘Greater Manchester’

Twitter hashtags:             #gmcycling          #ecc2017eu

A digital/Social Media ‘Toolkit’ will also be available within the next week for those of you who have Facebook and/or Twitter accounts.

Please let us know if you would like a copy of this along with any printed materials, and/or have any questions. 

Thank you and happy pedalling!

Angela Schorah. Communications – Walking and Active Travel

Angela.Schorah@tfgm.com

0161 244 0804

www.tfgm.com/cycling

Tram Tracks: Two high profile Manchester birthdays, one epic creative music project

A major musical collaboration will see 93 new pieces of music, song and spoken word tracks created – one for every stop on the Metrolink tram network.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and The Bridgewater Hall are collaborating on the exciting project, ‘Tram Tracks’, to celebrate Metrolink’s 25th anniversary and The Bridgewater Hall’s 21st birthday.

Over 900 adults and children will take part and work alongside professional musicians and facilitators from The Bridgewater Hall.

The large-scale creative music project aims to reflect the diverse communities across Greater Manchester and how those communities’ lives have been changed by the tram.

Created by the members of the community, each track will reflect the area and activities around each individual stop.

The majority of the groups will be selected by The Bridgewater Hall and TfGM and will include schools, community groups, arts organisations and cross a wide range of diverse cultural groups. There will also be an opportunity for others from the general public to take part through a public ballot.

The project hopes to involve a number of recording artists, composers and other ‘talent’ with links to Greater Manchester and will culminate in a gala concert at The Bridgewater Hall, pop-up performances on the Metrolink network and a digital archive of recordings of the 93 new tracks.   

TfGM’s Head of Metrolink, Danny Vaughan, said: “This project, like Metrolink and like the Bridgewater Hall, is ambitious, innovative and exciting. To see a project so inclusive and uniquely focused on reflecting and celebrating our diverse and dynamic communities is really quite special. 

“I’m delighted to be partnering with the Bridgewater Hall in our silver jubilee year and look forward to seeing the fruits of everyone’s labour. I’m especially excited that this will not only culminate in a gala concert at the Bridgewater Hall in July, but that some of the music created will feature across the network throughout the summer, for customers and the public to enjoy – which is fundamentally what this project is all about.”

Paula Wilson, The Bridgewater Hall’s Learning and Participation Manager, said: “We are thrilled to be with working with Metrolink and Transport for Greater Manchester on this exciting project, as part of The Bridgewater Hall’s 21st Birthday celebrations.

“Tram Tracks is one of the largest and far reaching creative engagement projects we have undertaken in recent years and we hope to develop lasting relationships with the participating groups, and to inspire communities across Greater Manchester to creatively engage with their local area.

“None of this would be possible without the support of The Bridgewater Hall Community Education Trust and the generosity of its donors and supporters. The Trusts’ guiding principles are creativity, collaboration, adventure, responsiveness and development, and we hope that these shine through in this one of a kind creative music project.”

Find out more at: https://www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk/engage/tram-tracks/

Organisations involved in the project include:

• British Cycling
• African Caribbean Care Group (Health and social care support for older people in the African Caribbean Community)
• Manchester Jewish Museum
• Salford Foyer (young parenting group)
• LGBT Asylum Seekers
• The Bridgewater Hall Singers (non-auditioned choir, singing for wellbeing)
• Streetwise Opera
• Brighter Sound’s Sing City (Young Manchester songwriters who regularly alight at Shudehill for the Sing City project)
• Manchester Camerata (Youth Forum, Older People living in Tameside and a group of young people living with Autism)
• Cantare Ladies Choir
• Oldham Theatre Workshop
• Friends of Clayton Park (local adult volunteers)
• Grand Day Out (adults over 55)
• Twitter Disco (carers who are unable  to leave the house very often will be composing a song over Twitter

Keep an eye out for the following key dates:

• 9 June – musical ‘happenings’ across the network
• 9 July – The Bridgewater Hall Gala Concerts
• 17 July – Anniversary of Metrolink’s official opening – performances on the trams and at selected tram stops across the network
• 9 and 10 September – The Bridgewater Hall’s 21st Birthday Weekend (official birthday is Monday 21st September)

Footway closure between Waterside and Wharfside Way - Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO)

Dear Recipient,

As you may know The Transport for Greater Manchester (Light Rapid Transit System) (Trafford Park Extension) Order 2016 (The Order) came into force on 24th November 2016. This Order gives Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) the legal powers to build and operate the new Trafford Park Metrolink Extension between Pomona and the Trafford Centre.

The Order has also given TfGM the legal powers to make any Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders (TTROs) required to facilitate the works. Whilst this process is usually undertaken by the Highway Authority, TfGM have, for administrative reasons, elected to undertake the process. However, please note that any TTROs made by TfGM are being made with the prior agreement of the Highway Authority – Trafford Council.

Please click here to view the Notice of intent for the introduction of a TTRO for the closure of the footway linking Waterside with Wharfside Way. The footway closure is temporary and is required to facilitate the highway construction works for the installation of a new traffic signal controlled junction at the junction of Waterside and Wharfside Way. There is also a plan attached (click here to view the plan) that shows the diversion route for pedestrians affected by the closure.

The effects of the TTRO will come into force and be enforceable from the 11th April 2017. It is anticipated that the Order will remain in force for a period of around 6 months.

TfGM will continue to engage with stakeholders along the route and will provide further information as we progress. In the meantime, if you have any queries regarding the powers under which these restrictions are being introduced or the Metrolink extensions in general, please do not hesitate to contact either me or a member of the Future Metrolink team on 0161 244 1555 (office hours) or email MetrolinkTPL@tfgm.com.

Yours faithfully,

Steve Burns
Metrolink Stakeholder and Communications Manager, Metrolink Projects
Transport for Greater Manchester

Twisted Wheel Cycle and Fitness Event - Thursday 20th April - 9am - 5pm

Visit the Piazza at MediaCityUK from 9am on Thursday 20th April for the Twisted Wheel and Cycle Fitness Event. 

The following organisations will be represented with various activities and products on show:

• Ken Foster’s Cycles - Free Cycle Health Checks
• Transport for Greater Manchester - Sustainable Cycling Network
• Raleigh UK LTD. - Demo Cycle Show
• Brompton Bicycle LTD. - New Product Preview 2017 
• TUF*C - Fitness Through Leisure/Watt Bike Challenge

A fun day for all things cycling!

Walking festival continues to make great strides

Greater Manchester’s Walking Festival is back and bigger than ever for its third annual incarnation.

The festival, which runs from Monday 1 to Wednesday 31 May, has increased in size yet again, offering more than 300 free guided walks exploring local towns, cities, countryside, canals, riversides and parks across Greater Manchester.

Coordinated by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) with support from HOME Manchester and many local walking groups and charities, the festival aims to showcase all that the region has to offer.

An exciting new addition to this year’s festival calendar is an ‘out of hours’ Art Walk which takes place at 5.30pm on Thursday 18 May, organised by Castlefield Gallery and HOME. This will take participants on a whistle-stop tour of some of the city’s top exhibitions.

The festival calendar will also feature many other expert-led walks, spanning a wide variety of interests and themes. Amongst this year’s events is a ghost walk, a Gruffalo walk for young families and a birdsong walk. There’s even a chance to try walking football, walking netball and Nordic walking.

The full list of walks can be found at the Greater Manchester Walking Festival website.

TfGM Head of Active Travel, Helen Smith, said: “This year’s Greater Manchester Walking Festival is bigger and better and we want to get even more people involved and build on the success we’ve had in the last two years.

“The festival aims to get as many people as possible across the region to find out how easy – and enjoyable – walking can be. The walks, which cater for a variety of abilities and ages, provide the chance to explore, experience, meet new people and get more active.

“We owe a huge thank you to all our walking partners and walk leaders, many of whom are voluntary, who run all the walks and make this festival possible.

“Walking has obvious health, environmental and social benefits and we hope that by encouraging people to get involved they will be inspired to continue walking regularly after the festival has ended.”

Funded by the Department of Transport, the Greater Manchester Walking Festival is part of TfGM’s Walking Works project, encouraging people to make a walk part of their daily routine.

To find out what’s happening in each area, visit www.tfgm.com/walking, where there is an online copy of the festival brochure containing all the walks. Copies of the brochure are also available in TfGM Travelshops and other outlets across Greater Manchester, or can be ordered by emailing walking.works@tfgm.com.

On social media, check out the GM Walking Festival Facebook page or search for the #GMWalking hashtag on Twitter.