Transport chiefs hold Q&As on rail passengers' A to Bs

Artists impression of the new trams in action.

Transport bosses have been finding out which journeys passengers use the Oldham and Rochdale Loop Line for this week.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) has arranged for origin and destination surveys to be carried out on the line, which will be closed later this year to make way for a new Metrolink service to Oldham and Rochdale.

The surveys will help transport planners looking at alternative travel arrangements for passengers after the last train runs on Saturday 3 October 2009.

Trams are expected to begin running to Rochdale in spring 2012.

Philip Purdy, GMPTE's Metrolink Director, said: "We want to make sure that people living along the loop line can still make their journeys by public transport while we convert it to Metrolink.

"These surveys will tell us what kinds of trips need to be catered for. While we know where the main passenger flows are we need to know exactly where people are coming from and where they are going.

"This will all feed into our plans for alternative travel arrangements, which we are due to review in May."

GMPTE is overseeing a £600 million expansion of the Metrolink network to Oldham and Rochdale, East Manchester and Droylsden, Chorlton and MediaCity UK. The MPact-Thales consortium has been appointed to design, build and maintain the new lines.

Trains will continue to run as normal on the Calder Valley line between Manchester, Rochdale and Leeds while the work takes place.

When the route opens, Metrolink services will run between Rochdale and Manchester every 12 minutes.

New Metrolink stops will be built at Monsall, Central Park, South Chadderton, Freehold, Newbold and outside Rochdale railway station on the Oldham and Rochdale line.