Metrolink gears up for Robbie Williams

Metrolink passengers are being advised to allow extra time for peak-time evening journeys this week as this as the Etihad hosts its biggest non-football events yet.

Robbie Williams will play four nights at Manchester City’s Etihad stadium on 18, 19, 21 and 22 June, with crowds of 58,000 expected for each concert.

Metrolink will be running special services with double trams to cope with the expected number of passengers travelling to the Etihad Campus stop on the new Metrolink line to Droylsden.

Gates at the Etihad open at 5pm and while peak hour commuter services will be strengthened, all Metrolink lines are expected to be busy as concertgoers make their way across the city.

Transport for Greater Manchester’s Metrolink Director, Peter Cushing said: “The Metrolink network will be extremely busy as our regular customers making their journey home are joined by thousands of concertgoers. Anyone travelling would be well advised to allow extra time for their journey.

“The Etihad Campus stop has been built to cope with heavy demand and we can run plenty of extra services. We’ll be running trams until the Etihad is cleared and our staff will be at key stops across the network to advise passengers.”

Concerts are expected to finish at 11pm on all nights. Some Metrolink services will run later to make sure passengers can change to other lines before last trams.