The Trafford Centre tram stop

The Trafford Centre is a tram stop built for Greater Manchester's Metrolink light rail system, built to serve passengers boarding and alighting at the Trafford Centre on the Trafford Park Line. Previously known as intu Trafford Centre, the tram terminus received the name The Trafford Centre after intu ceased ownership of the shopping centre, the tram stop's namesake. The stop is located adjacent to Barton Dock Road between Ellesmere Circle and Bright Circle.^[1]

The Trafford Centre
Metrolink station
General information
Location	Dumplington, Trafford England
Coordinates	53°28′04″N 2°20′52″W / 53.46789°N 2.34772°W / 53.46789; -2.34772
Line(s)	Trafford Park Line
Platforms	2 (1 island platform)
Other information
Status	In operation
Fare zone	3
Key dates
22 March 2020	Opened as intu Trafford Centre
January 2021	Renamed The Trafford Centre
Services
Preceding station Manchester Metrolink Following station Terminus The Trafford Centre–Cornbrook Barton Dock Road towards Cornbrook Planned extensions Trafford Quays towards Port Salford Trafford Centre Line (planned) Barton Dock Road towards Crumpsall
Route map Legend to Crumpsall (change at Cornbrook) Deansgate-Castlefield ( Deansgate) Bridgewater Canal 0:00 Cornbrook ( Zone 1 Zone 2 boundary) to Altrincham, East Didsbury & Manchester Airport Bridgewater Canal 0:02 Pomona Eccles Line to Eccles & MediaCityUK 0:04 Wharfside 0:06 Imperial War Museum footbridges to Lowry Centre or MediaCityUK Manchester Ship Canal 0:09 Village 0:11 Parkway ( Zone 2 Zone 3 boundary) Bridgewater Canal 0:15 Barton Dock Road 0:16 The Trafford Centre Trafford Quays Manchester Ship Canal  M60  Salford Reds Port Salford This diagram: view talk edit
Location

The tram stop under construction in August 2019.

History

In 2013, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership announced it may fund the construction of the Trafford line as far as Trafford Centre Metrolink station using the Earnback mechanism of the Greater Manchester City Deal, estimating that the line could be open to passengers by 2018/19 (subject to a satisfactory business case, Transport and Works Act Order and public consultation).^[2]

The Metrolink stop at the Trafford Centre was endorsed by former owner intu Properties,^[3] and is located along a new line routed from Pomona.^[4][5] An alternative route to this proposed stop also featured in Salford City Council's unitary development plan (2004–2016), whereby Metrolink would be expanded to the Trafford Centre from Eccles Interchange via the A57 road at Barton-upon-Irwell.^[6] It opened on 22 March 2020.^[7][8]

Following the administration of the intu Group, the shopping centre was renamed to drop references to its former owner in November 2020.^[9] Online references to the stop were altered to The Trafford Centre in January 2021.^[10]

Layout

The Trafford Centre received approval for a new covered walkway to connect the shopping centre to the tram stop,^[11] which has been completed ready for the start of passenger service.

Services

From this stop a service runs generally every 12 minutes towards Cornbrook.

There are plans to extend the line to Crumpsall on the Bury line, when this is to be done is unknown.

References

1. . Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
2. Greater Manchester Combined Authority (26 July 2013). "Report for Resolution: Earnback Model, SEMMMS and Metrolink Trafford Park Extension" (PDF). Association of Greater Manchester Authorities. (PDF) from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
3. (PDF). intutraffordcentre.co.uk. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
4. GMPTE 2000.
5. TfGM & GMCA 2011, p. 46.
6. Salford City Council (2004). "City of Salford Unitary Development Plan 2004–2016 Saved Policies". salford.gov.uk. p. Accessibility. from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
7. "Metrolink's Trafford Park £350m tramline opening date revealed". BBC News. 9 March 2020. from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
8. "Metrolink's Trafford Park line to open as planned at weekend". Place North West. 20 March 2020. from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
9. ""Trafford Centre makes major announcement over ownership - LIVE updates"". Manchester Evening News. 10 November 2020. from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
10. ""The Trafford Centre tram stop"". Transport for Greater Manchester. 24 January 2021. from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
11. ""98632/FUL/19 - Erection of a covered pedestrian walkway and public realm improvements"". Trafford Borough Council. 29 October 2019. from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.

Bibliography

• GMPTE (2000). Metrolink, Transforming Our Future: A Network for the 21st Century. Manchester: GMPTE Promotions.
• TfGM; GMCA (2011). (PDF). Transport for Greater Manchester. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016.