Speed restrictions lifted on the Rochdale Line

Trams around Monsall, Newton Heath and Moston, and Derker on the Rochdale Line (Manchester Metrolink) have been running at reduced speed for a few years now, but these issues with the track were fixed recently over the last full closure of the Rochdale Line between 16-29 May 2026. Here’s what I captured: 

Monsall

View of the tracks at Monsall looking east before works. The inbound track is visibly disfigured.

At Monsall, a Temporary Speed Restriction of 10mph was added to the inbound track (trams to Victoria) on 29 July 2022 for 235 metres of track, due to the “track geometry” being off. This defect was visible from the track crossing at Monsall as seen in this picture.

Then another TSR of 5mph was added to the outbound track (trams to Rochdale) on 14 August 2023 for 120 metres, due to the “condition of track.” This issue was not as visible. 

On 22 March 2026, the new concrete sleepers and rails were moved to the worksite from the initial storage site near Central Park stop (read about it here), and over the 16-29 May 2026 closure, the new concrete sleepers and rails were placed onto the track.

16 May 2026 - Day 1. The inbound track is seen being lifted at 07:30. They worked on the inbound track for the first five days. The track was fully lifted by 12:00.

17 May 2026 - Day 2. I returned to Monsall briefly and saw that the track ballast was being excavated.

18 May 2026 - Day 3. Something that looked like drainage work (though I’m not sure) may have been happening.

19 May 2026 - Day 4. The track ballast partially relaid at Monsall, no new concrete sleepers or new rails down yet.

20 May 2026 - Day 5. The inbound track work was finished on this day. The new concrete sleepers and rails can be seen in the picture to the right.

Pretty much the exact same process happened on the outbound track over the following five days.

Contrast between old and new track at Monsall on Day 5.

The new track and sleepers were down by the end of Day 10 (25 May 2026). The track ballast was raised to partially cover the concrete sleepers by Day 13 (28 May 2026), and by this time the majority of the track work had finished.

29 May 2026 - Day 14. The new tracks down at Monsall.

The work has been finished at this point. All of the workers are off the tracks, and the track crossing is back in place.

29 May 2026 - Day 14, test tram 3143 on the outbound track at Monsall.

I stopped by briefly at 22:45 and by chance caught a test tram rolling into Monsall. The tram stayed there for a few minutes before continuing on towards Rochdale.

20 May 2026 at Central Park. Wagons on the rails carrying the ballast excavated a few days earlier.

I also went to Central Park briefly on Day 5 and saw this.

Newton Heath and Moston

At Newton Heath and Moston, there is one platform and one track that Metrolink trams run on, however there is a freight line opposite used for access to a recycling centre nearby. There was one TSR in place of 10mph in both directions (because single track) added on 10 August 2022 for 75m around the tram stop’s platform.

16 May 2026 - Day 1. The track had already been lifted at 08:00. Nothing much else was seen here on Day 1.

You can see the old tracks beside the freight line in this picture, however…

…on 17 May 2026 - Day 2, I took this picture near the recycling centre, of concrete sleepers and rails.

I’m assuming that this is the new track, but I’m not completely sure about the details.

20 May 2026 - Day 5. Drainage work was underway. Water pumps seen in action near the west end of the platforms at 17:00. Some track ballast had been re-laid, but no new track down yet.

It had also rained a few days prior, so they might have just been clearing the water away.

25 May 2026 - Day 10. The new track is down at Newton Heath.

Road-rail vehicles seen on the tracks as well.

29 May 2026 - Day 14. Most of the work is now finished, but some workers are still on the tracks.

The ballast looks new, but the track doesn’t look as new as the ones placed at Monsall…?

Derker

Near Derker, a landslip occurred on 10 July 2024 around 200m north of the Meek Street bridge over the line. This landslip affected tram services on the Rochdale Line for around a month, with all services terminating at Oldham Mumps whilst temporary measures could be put in place. The line reopened on 19 August 2024, with trams running at a reduced speed (TSR of 20mph) past the site of the landslip until permanent measures could be implemented.

I did not get to visit the landslip location at Derker more than once as the site was difficult to reach so far away from Manchester city centre (compared to Monsall and Newton Heath) and I thought it better to focus on the other two, as this was only Phase 1 of the permanent Derker works, and the TSR was not removed over the 16-29 May closure. Further closures of the Rochdale Line in June and July are involved in the next phases.

Phase 1 of the works (16-29 May) involved “installing steel supports near the location of the landslip to prevent future movement.”

16 May 2026 - Day 1. At Derker there were a few RRVs stabled at the inbound platform that I saw, also a few vehicles and workers were seen on the line.

The landslip site from the Meek Street bridge (the closest bridge to the site), 16 May 2026.

Not much was seen happening at the actual site on this day, though it’s a fairly easy guess what was happening.

Reserved site near Derker where steel supports are seen and the wagons on the tracks.

There was a wagon travelling back and forth between a reserved site near Derker holding the steel supports, probably carrying them to the landslip site.