The AnsaldoBreda T-68 was a model of light railpassenger vehicle first operated on the Manchester Metrolink network in England in 1992. It was part of the AnsaldoBreda Firema range of vehicles, built specifically as a high-floor, articulated bi-directional tram to operate solely on the Manchester Metrolink system. Twenty-six T-68s were manufactured by AnsaldoBreda at its factory in Naples, Italy. Six modified variants were added in 1999. All 32 were replaced by Bombardier M5000s between 2012 and 2014.
T-68
The first of 26 T-68s entered service on 6 April 1992. Because low-floor tram technology was in its infancy at the time Metrolink was in its planning stages, and in order to be compatible with standard height railway platforms, used by Metrolink; the vehicles were high-floor, using the same 900mm platform height as British Rail trains. In the beginning, several stops in the city centre had dual height platforms, with one high part and one lower part, because of this, the T-68s were equipped with retractable steps to allow passengers to use the lower section of the platform. The dual height platforms have since been either rebuilt as high level platforms or removed. The T-68s could operate either as single units, or coupled together in pairs. The fleet later received various modifications, including electronic destination displays instead of destination blinds, retractable couplers, covered bogies, internal electronic displays, CCTV in place of mirrors and several other electronic modifications. Fifteen were later fitted with air-conditioning. Vehicle 1007 had non standard seating with higher backs and more rounded grab handles. The tram was named East Lancashire Railway at a ceremony at Bury Interchange by Pete Waterman on 31 May 2009. The final three T-68s 1007, 1016 & 1022 were withdrawn on 10 February 2014.
T-68A
The six T-68As were introduced in 1999 for use on the Eccles Line, numbered 2001–2006. They were similar to the original fleet, but built with modifications to allow for a high proportion of street running on the Eccles Line with other traffic. These included retractable couplers and covered bogies, as well as electronic destination displays instead of destination blinds. Three of the original fleet also received the same modifications to allow them to run alongside the new T-68As. Later all bar 1018 - 1020 were similarly modified. Originally the T-68A's were only authorised to run between Eccles, Piccadilly and the Queens Road depot, but from 2009 they were modified to allow running on all lines. The T-68A trams only ever operated as single units. After developing a fault with the emergency brakes applying regularly without instruction to do so, 2001 was stored for several years from 2006. It was completely rewired and returned to service in June 2011. The final two T-68As 2001 and 2003 were withdrawn on 30 April 2014.
Livery
The trams were originally liveried in white, with a grey skirt, and a turquoise strip running along the skirt. Later modifications of this livery included the doors also being painted turquoise, and a turquoise strip painted along the top of the body, with thin orange or yellow lines separating the turquoise stripes and the white body. Only 1003 received the yellow and grey Metrolink livery introduced when the first M5000s entered service.
Names
Twenty-three of the T-68s at some point had name plates, named after famous Mancunian people, achievements, places or company sponsorship.
In 2008, the entire T-68/A fleet underwent a refurbishment programme, which was designed to keep them in service for at least another ten years. However, the newer Bombardier M5000 trams introduced from 2009 proved to be considerably more reliable than the T-68/A fleet; which averaged 5,000 miles between breakdowns, while the M5000 trams at introduction averaged 20,000 miles. The M5000 trams are also 10 tonnes lighter than the T-68/A's, causing less track wear, and using less energy. In addition to this many of the T-68s were found to be suffering from corrosion to their, which would have required further expensive repairs to keep them in service. In July 2012, Transport for Greater Manchester decided that it would be more cost effective withdraw all of the T-68/T-68As and replace them with M5000s with the first T-68 withdrawn in 2012. The final three T68s were withdrawn on 10 February 2014 and the last two T-68As on 30 April 2014. To farewell the T-68s, on 26 May 2014 a farewell tour was operated by 1007 and 1016, the former being the first tram to run on the system when opened in 1992.
Preservation and further use
The Manchester Transport Museum Society owns T-68s 1007 and 1023. The former was chosen as it was the first tram to run through Manchester city centre on the system's opening on 27 April 1992 and is destined for the Heaton Park Tramway. Number 1007 was the number carried by the tram that operated the final Manchester Corporation Tramways service in 1949. As of February 2020, both remained at Trafford depot but in March 1023 was moved for display at Crewe Heritage Centre until it could be accommodated at Heaton Park. The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service purchased 1003 for use as a training rig. Four were transferred to the tram test centre at Long Marston. A single car prototype bodyshell numbered 1000 was built in Italy in 1990 and delivered to Manchester for public exhibition to promote the system. It is now preserved and displayed at the Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester.
In December 2010, T-68 1015 was used in the 50th anniversary live episode of the television programmeCoronation Street, of the show to portray a tram crash on the street. As well as a mock-up tram for scenes after the crash, real life T-68 1015 was also used, numbered as 1030 and temporarily vinyl wrapped in the new yellow and grey livery.
