Work has started on the £350 million Metrolink expansion project in Manchester.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), MPact Thales (MPT) and WSP have signed a contract for the development and advanced utility works are now underway along the line of the route.

The scheme involves building a new 3.4mile (5.5km) Trafford Park line, which will increase the size of the Metrolink network to more than 64 miles (103km) served by 99 stops. It will branch off from the existing Pomona stop and call at six new tram stops at various destinations including Wharfside, near to Old Trafford football stadium, the Imperial War Museum, key business areas through Europe's largest industrial estate and to visitor destinations such as Eventcity and the intu Trafford Centre.

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MPT, a consortium of Laing O'Rourke, VolkerRail and Thales, will design and build the extension to the intu Trafford Centre via Trafford Park, while WSP will continue as TfGM's delivery partner. Work is due to be completed by the end of 2020.

Bryan Glass, MPT Director, said: "The Laing O'Rourke, VolkerRail and Thales MPT consortium has successfully delivered three main contract extensions for Manchester Metrolink. We are therefore delighted to continue as a trusted partner to TfGM delivering the latest phase of the Metrolink's growth taking the line through Trafford Park to the Trafford Centre."

Chair of the TfGM Committee, Cllr Andrew Fender, said: "It makes absolute sense to continue the award-winning partnership with MPT and WSP to deliver the next exciting chapter in the Metrolink story.

"The phase three expansion programme has without doubt been one of largest and most ambitious transport projects to be delivered in the UK and is unprecedented in the light rail industry in terms of the size and scale of growth.

"I'm pleased that all formalities are now complete - it's an existing and successful partnership and I know we are in great hands with Metrolink's latest exciting expansion."

(LM/MH)