Manchester Metrolink’s entire fleet of T68 trams is to be retired from service by 2014.
The T68 has served Manchester’s tram passengers since the service first began operation in 1992.
After gaining approval from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, an order for 20 new yellow and silver M5000s will now be placed with a consortium of tram manufacturer Bombardier and propulsion supplier Vossloh Kiepe to add to the 12 new trams agreed in September last year.
Bombardier and Vossloh Kiepe are already supplying 74 new M5000 trams to serve the expanding network.
Councillor Andrew Fender, chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester committee, said: “This decision signals the end of one chapter for Metrolink and the start of a new one.
“Our T68 vehicles were the first of their kind in the UK and served the first modern light rail network of its kind in the country.
“The arrival into service of our first new vehicles in December 2009 demonstrated just how far the industry has come in that time and it is clear that our T68s no longer live up to the standards that passengers expect. The time has now come for them to enter a well-earned retirement.”
Twenty-six T68s served the original line – Altrincham to Bury – and a further six came into service in 2000 when the Eccles line opened.
The first new M5000 entered service in December 2009.
Once all the new lines are in operation, the network will be served by 94 new M5000 trams.
The phased retirement of the T68s began in November 2011, with the order to replace an initial 12 vehicles. This initial phase should be complete by the end of summer this year.
A plan to phase out the remaining T68s and introduce the new M5000s will now be developed with the operator, MRDL.
I do hope some are considered for preservation especially considering their relative youth.
I note no-one is asking where these trams will be built… most Bombardier trams are built outside of the UK!
The six later trams obtained for the Eccles line could be fully overhauled and upgraded for use on the re-vitalised Watford to St Albans branch. This is exactly the right size fleet that is needed to operate the proposed tram-train style service, with hopefully a short extension taking the branch into Watford.
As for the original batch, the full height floor is not ideal, but I would bet these could find a market for ‘re-cycling’ in Europe as our first two batches of DLR tram-trains ended up in Germany, with an added pantograph.
I think there are a number of branch lines that could be separated off from the national system and operated with sound refurbished trams, for a far lower cost than buying new.
Any ideas for good homes for some or all of these 24 serviceable trams?