| Style: | Manchester Metrolink |
| Imperial War Museum | |
| Type: | Metrolink station |
| Country: | England |
| Coordinates: | 53.4686°N -2.2968°W |
| Line: | Trafford Park Line |
| Platforms: | 2 |
| Status: | In operation |
| Zone: | 2 |
| Mapframe: | yes |
| Map State: | collapsed |
Imperial War Museum is a tram stop on the Manchester Metrolink's Trafford Park Line. It is located adjacent to Trafford Wharf Road and serves Imperial War Museum North. It opened on 22 March 2020.[1] [2]
Some of the tram tracks around Imperial War Museum run very close to the alignments of the now derelict Trafford Park Railway.
In 2013, the GMCA and the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership announced that it may fund the construction of the Trafford Park Line as far as The Trafford Centre, estimating that the line could be open to passengers by 2018/19, subject to a satisfactory business case, Transport and Works Act Order and public consultation.[3]
During planning stages, ITV who produce Coronation Street stated concerns about the proximity of the planned route due to it being located within 50m of parts of the open air set.[4]
New bus stops were also constructed to serve the tram stop.
The first trams (3040 and 3014 coupled together) passed by Imperial War Museum in the early hours of 10 November 2019 while on test. The stop opened to passengers on 22 March 2020, and the first passenger service tram (3073) stopped at Imperial War Museum just after 06:39.[5] [6]
Imperial War Museum does serve IWM North, but also serves MediaCityUK and ITV Studios across a footbridge over the Manchester Ship Canal. This also allows for an out-of-station interchange with MediaCityUK tram stop.
Imperial War Museum tram stop consists of two platforms (island platform). Two dot matrix passenger information displays stand serving one platform each, and show estimated arrival times for trams in minutes up to 30 minutes prior (up to three at a time) and number of carriages.
This stop has step-free access.
Also, a new bus stop was constructed at the tram stop, and the bus stop on the other side of the road was moved further down towards the tram stop and given a canopy.
Services run every 12 minutes on all routes. Some routes (not shown here) only run during peak times.
From this stop, services run to Castlefield in Manchester city centre in one direction and to The Trafford Centre in the other. MediaCityUK tram stop is a 5-10 minute walk away from here, forming an out-of-station interchange.
Imperial War Museum tram stop is served closest by bus route X50 (Worsley–Piccadilly Gardens) and 250 on Wharfside Way (The Trafford Centre–Piccadilly Gardens). Further away over the Manchester Ship Canal footbridge, bus routes 29, 53, and 79 serve The Lowry.
This tram stop is not connected to any railway stations, but the nearest one is Trafford Park, approximately 1.5 miles away walking.