- 105km of track
- 99 stops across 8 lines
- 43.7 million annual riders
- 120 tram fleet powered by 100% sustainable energy
The Manchester Metrolink is the largest light rail system in the UK, with 105km of track, eight lines and 99 stops. 43.7 million passengers use the network annually and further extensions of the network are planned, with the most recent opening in March 2020. The fleet of 120 trams is the first in the UK to be powered exclusively by sustainable energy. North Star has a long-standing involvement with the network, supporting the infrastructure owner and the operations and maintenance (O&M) contractor.
Our work on the Manchester Metrolink has included:
- 2016 – 2017: Providing technical advice and reviewing control measures implemented to mitigate the risk of safety-critical failures of the tram management system
- 2017: Making technical recommendations to both the infrastructure owner and the O&M contractor to reduce the likelihood and consequences of future failures to the fibre optic system for data transfer
- 2018: Conducting an independent investigation into a failure of overhead line equipment, that caused severe delays on one of the network’s busiest lines
- 2017 – 2020: Planning and supervising a series of exercises to test the O&M contractor’s ability to manage complex incidents across the network.