(2026.03.11) Service disruption summary
This is a summary of the Manchester Metrolink service disruptions on Wednesday, 11 March 2026.
Please be aware that information is still being pieced together, gathered, and organised from both my observations and from other sources.
Incident #1: Failed tram at Anchorage
At around 06:08 GMT, it was reported on the Bee Network (TfGM) website that a tram had failed near Anchorage tram stop. The tram had taken out the overhead lines on the Furness Quay ramp between Salford Quays tram stop and Anchorage tram stop, somewhere on the north end of the ramp heading outbound (towards MediaCityUK/Eccles), and workers were seen checking the overhead lines in the morning [1]. The tram was seen later stabled at the outbound platform at Anchorage stop, with the front couplers exposed, possibly indicating that it had been pulled along by another tram to its place in the platforms after it had failed on the ramp, but this is speculation.
The failed tram stopped trams running between Pomona and Eccles on the physical network, and stopped trams running on the Ashton-under-Lyne - Eccles route (blue) between Eccles and Deansgate-Castlefield, with the MediaCityUK - Etihad Campus route (orange) suspended, as peak-only services will do during service disruptions.
Just before 14:00 GMT, it was reported that the Eccles Line between Pomona and Eccles had reopened, of course with severe delays. A normal service was expected by 15:00 GMT [1].
Incident #2: Medical emergency at Pomona
Just as the network was recovering, another issue unfolded at Pomona tram stop starting at around 14:35 GMT, a medical emergency. The driver stopped the tram - which was tram 3070 - at the inbound platform at Pomona. Two police cars and an ambulance were seen on the Pomona Strand (Throstle Nest Lane) road at 16:15 GMT, after most of the incident was over. Since Pomona tram stop is the interchange point between the Eccles and Trafford Park Lines, services to Eccles and The Trafford Centre both could not run.
All trams were put on stop. They continued running to Eccles, but stopped behind other trams at tram stop platforms when they could go no further after turning around at Eccles heading towards Manchester again.
The display boards were seen blank along the Eccles Line at some point afterward, showing absolutely no departures until around 16:40 GMT. Scrolling messages were displayed at tram stops as follows:
Anchorage, 15:58 GMT, “Due to a Medical emergency on a tram there is no service between Eccles and Cornbrook. Tickets are being accepted on the 10,30,33,50,52,53,67,79,100,248 & 249 buses.” It is assumed that this was used for all Eccles Line stops (Eccles - Exchange Quay). Pomona obviously not confirmed.
Wharfside, 16:30 GMT, “Due to a medical emergency there is no service on the Trafford Park line, tickets and passes can be used on the 150, 248, and 250 buses.” It is assumed that this was used for all Trafford Park Line stops (Wharfside - The Trafford Centre).
Cornbrook, 16:48 GMT, “Due to a Medical emergency on a tram there is no service between Eccles and Deansgate. Tickets are being accepted on the 10,30,33,50,52,53,67,79,100,248 & 249 buses.”
Shudehill, 17:08 GMT, “Due to a Medical emergency on a tram there is a delay to services on the Eccles - Ashton and Trafford Park lines, tickets can be used on 150,248,250,10,30,33,50,52,53,67,79,100,248 & 249 buses.”
As evident from the Cornbrook and Shudehill scrolling messages, the incident ended and the line was reopened sometime between 16:48 and 17:08, and confirming this, the news was posted on the Bee Network X (Twitter) account at 17:03 GMT [2], making incident #2 last ~2hr 28m (14:35-17:03).
The Bee Network website message read, “Due to a medical emergency on board a tram at Pomona, the Eccles & Trafford Park Lines are temporarily suspended.” The message continued showing ticket acceptance on bus routes, but was not fully captured in the screenshot taken. After the incident was over, the message read, “Due to an earlier medical emergency on board a tram at Pomona, the Eccles - Ashton & Trafford Park Lines are delayed. For Eccles Line passengers, tickets and passes are being accepted on the 10, 30, 33, 50, 52, 53, 57, 79, 100, 248 and 249 bus services. For Trafford Park Line passengers, tickets and passes are being accepted on the 150, 248 & 250” captured at 17:16 GMT.
A double tram was seen stopped at Broadway tram stop’s inbound platform. At least some passengers had not left the tram yet: multiple were seen on board. A double tram 3083/3xxx (3xxx at the buffers) was seen at MediaCityUK Platform A, and 3068 at Platform B, the former with front displays off and the latter showing Ashton via Piccadilly. Passengers were seen leaving 3068 at 15:51 GMT, probably after just being informed by the driver of the situation at Pomona. A double tram was seen at 15:56 GMT at Anchorage inbound: 3xxx/3077. The driver left the cab and all passengers had been cleared from the tram. Another double tram was seen at 16:02 GMT at Salford Quays inbound: 3xxx/3103. The driver and some passengers were still on board. Another was seen at 16:07 GMT at Exchange Quay inbound: 3143/3130. The driver was present in the cab but all passengers cleared off.
The Trafford Park Line trams were on stop as well, of course: a double tram 3112/3131 was at Wharfside tram stop inbound, with a couple of staff members and a couple of line workers near the tram stop at 16:28 GMT. All passengers cleared off, with some still consulting staff members on platform about alternative routes.
Unfortunately, a couple of drivers who had been put on stop closer to Pomona (Exchange Quay and Wharfside) who had been informed of the situation more than other drivers who were further away were told sometime around 16:00 GMT that the person involved in the medical emergency had passed away.
Incident #3: Road traffic collision in Oldham
At 15:28 GMT, a post from the Bee Network X (Twitter) account read: “Due to multiple incidents on the network, there is currently disruption on The Trafford Park, Eccles and Rochdale lines. No services are operating on the Trafford Park line or the Eccles line, and no services are operating between Freehold - Rochdale Town Centre.” The reason for the Oldham and Rochdale Line was not given in this post [3]. Metrolink tickets were being accepted on 17, 57, 59, 76, 81, 83, 84, 114, 149, 181, 182, 409, 411, 435, 436, and 471 bus routes.
The main incident was announced over at 16:36 GMT by Bee Network on X (Twitter) and reported by The Oldham Times six minutes later [4][5].
A Bee Network app message read, “Due to a Road traffic accident there is a delay to services on the Rochdale - East Didsbury line. Metrolink apologises for any inconvenience.” This was at 16:52 GMT, after the main incident had ended and the line had reopened. A scrolling message at Exchange Square read:
Exchange Square, 16:59 GMT, “Due to a road traffic accident there is a delay to services on the Rochdale - East Didsbury line.”
The incident must have happened on the street-running section between Freehold and Oldham Mumps, as there is a turnback at Oldham Mumps for trams. Apparently it happened at the Manchester Road / Oldham Way roundabout between Westwood and Oldham King Street.
All incidents were removed from the Bee Network website by 20:00 GMT.
