Crumpsall’s third platform now has a regular service
Crumpsall’s empty platform 3 in March 2026.
Crumpsall tram stop in north Manchester had two platforms until a redevelopment of the station between 2017 and 2019.
The new third platform was commissioned and “opened” in August 2019, but for just under seven years, was not used for its specific purpose: to be the eastern end of the route to The Trafford Centre when it would open in March 2020. Finally, following 30 March 2026 (though only temporarily), the platform is now being used for its original purpose. Trams from The Trafford Centre now run as far as Crumpsall via Exchange Square. The service changes are expected to end in autumn, however. After that time, services may return to normal and the Crumpsall - TTC service may end and be reduced back to Deansgate-Castlefield as it was before.
Why did Crumpsall’s third platform not have a regular service until 2026? The main reason that the service was allowed to be extended following 30 March 2026 is related to the amount of trams passing through Victoria. The track layout at Victoria, especially referring to Victoria south (VIC) means that trams cannot operate efficiently under the current signalling system past a certain capacity. No more than 50 tram moves per hour seem to be permitted through Victoria. The service reductions and changes following 30 March 2026 (which themselves are a result of a major tram driver recruitment program, watch a video about it here) mean that every route on the Metrolink now operates every 15 minutes instead of every 12 minutes. This changes the number of tram moves per hour per route from 10 to 8, permitting six routes to operate through Victoria (48 moves per hour) without reaching the limit.
There is another reason, however. The Metrolink needs more LRVs to operate an extended route from The Trafford Centre through the city and then to Crumpsall. On a weekday during 12-minute frequency on all Metrolink routes, The Trafford Centre - Deansgate-Castlefield route requires 5 services (so 5 LRVs at the least for all singles, 10 LRVs at the most for all double trams), and extending the route to Crumpsall would require three more services (+3 LRVs for all singles, +6 LRVs for doubles), which would most definitely reduce capacity on other lines that need it (e.g. Bury, Altrincham).
Crumpsall’s layout is similar to Shaw and Crompton in that it has three platforms. Though Deansgate-Castlefield also has three platforms, all of the platforms are through. At Crumpsall and Shaw and Crompton, the third platform is for terminating/stabling trams. Shaw and Crompton’s third platform is used in regular service though: on weekdays during daytimes at the northern end of the East Didsbury - Shaw and Crompton peak service route.
Crumpsall’s third platform is about 3 degrees offset to the others, probably to make room for a larger platform and utilise the space available. The third platform is also 54 metres long, the shortest length a Metrolink platform can be with the current fleet of trams. The Bury platform (so effectively Platform 1) is 64 metres long, and Platform 2 is 74 metres long. Trams stop 15m short of the very end of Platform 2, different to usual across the Metrolink network.
