Airport Line (Manchester Metrolink)
| Airport Line | |
|---|---|
A M5000 tram passing over the purpose built viaduct over the River Mersey on the Airport Line.
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| Overview | |
| Type | Tram/Light rail |
| System | Manchester Metrolink |
| Locale | South Manchester |
| Termini |
St Werburgh’s Road Manchester Airport |
| Stations | 15 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 3 November 2014 |
| Character |
Reserved track and street running |
| Rolling stock | M5000 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 9 miles (14.5 km) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Electrification | 750 volts DC overhead |
| Operating speed | 50 mph (80km/h) |
The Airport Line is a tram line of the Manchester Metrolink in Greater Manchester running from Manchester city centre to Manchester Airport via the suburb of Wythenshawe. The line was opened in November 2014 as part of phase three of the system's expansion.
The line runs mostly on reserved track alignments with short sections of street–running. The southern half of the route mostly uses the wide grass verges alongside roads.
From Manchester city centre, the route is shared with the Altrincham Line as far as Trafford Bar, and then the South Manchester Line as far as St Werburgh's Road. The Airport Line proper starts at a junction just south of St Werburgh's Road stop, where the line leaves the former railway trackbed, and runs off to the south-west. It joins Mauldeth Road, running along the central reservation to Barlow Moor Road stop. It then runs on street along Hardy Road for a short distance, before crossing onto a tram only viaduct crossing the River Mersey and the Mersey Valley flood plain.
The line then continues on a low embankment to Sale Water Park stop, serving the Sale Water Park; this stop is also near Junction 6 of the M60 motorway and has park and ride facilities. The line then runs parallel to the M60 for a short distance before turning south-west and crossing it on a tram only bridge.
After crossing the motorway, the line serves Northern Moor stop. Between Northern Moor stop and Wythenshawe Park stop the line runs on a strip of land which was originally reserved for a road scheme. The line then crosses onto Moor Road, where it serves Moor Road stop, before crossing onto a reserved track section alongside the road. A tram bridge takes the tracks over the Mid-Cheshire railway line and into Baguley stop. The line then runs alongside the road for the next few miles, serving stops at Roundthorn and Martinscroft, before crossing the M56 motorway on a purpose built bridge.
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