The M-Pact Thales (MPT) consortium has reached a project milestone on a £165 million Metrolink line extension scheme in Manchester.

The contractor has now laid the final rails of the Second City Crossing scheme and is on schedule to finish main construction works before Christmas.

In addition, all major civil engineering works are expected to be completed by the end of the year and the overall development is scheduled to officially open in early 2017.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) had originally been expecting completion in summer 2017 due to potential delays.

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However the MPT consortium, consisting of Laing O'Rourke, VolkerRail and Thales UK, worked closely with utility companies and TfGM to ensure the line is on track for completion earlier in the year.

Cllr Andrew Fender said: "It's great to see these final sections of rail laid, one of the final jigsaw pieces in the puzzle.

"With some infrastructure still dating back to the Victorians, building through a busy city has not been an easy task. The scale of the venture has been impressive and, while there has been inevitable disruption, we're close to the finish line and to customers, residents and businesses reaping the benefits."

Peter Jones, MPT Project Director, added: "Over the past eight years of partnership with TfGM, we've built 58 new tram stops and more than 60km of new track.

"Reaching this milestone is a measure of our teams' tenacity and we will work together to ensure the opening is achieved early next year."

(LM/MH)