Tram passengers were forced to walk on tracks between stops after an overhead line fault near Radcliffe ground services to a halt.

Due to an overhead line fault announced earlier today, Friday, passengers on a tram service between Manchester Piccadilly and Bury were asked to walk on the tracks back to Radcliffe, after a fault causes services to stop.

The service was reportedly halted at around 11am along with another tram travelling in the opposite direction.

Passengers were asked to wait on the tram for around an hour before being asked to leave the carriage and walk to Radcliffe, where a replacement bus service had been arranged.

Bury Times: Trams were halted on the Bury line following an overhead line issueTrams were halted on the Bury line following an overhead line issue (Image: Peter Buckby)

Peter Buckby, 70, was travelling on the tram on his way to Bury Market and says the service wasn’t too busy and had around 20 passengers on it.

He said: “I was coming from Piccadilly towards Bury and was just passed Radcliffe station and I looked out the window and I saw a big flash.

“I looked down the line and saw a tram going to Manchester.”

“We were told there was a problem with the overhead cables and we waited for about an hour, then the driver said we all have to get off.

“Everyone had to get off one by one and walk up the line back to Radcliffe."

Peter, who lives in Poynton, Cheshire, said he regularly takes the tram to Bury to visit the market.

He said that he is general happy with the service, and says he believe today’s disruption was rare.

He added: “I come every week, it’s [usually] been brilliant [but today] it could just be the weather.”

A statement published earlier today by the Bee Network said: “Due to a overhead line fault, there is currently a service change on the Bury line.

"No services will operate between Bury and Whitefield until Saturday morning (September 30).

"Ticket acceptance is in place on the 95, 97, 98, 135, 513 and 524 bus services only. Simply show the driver your Metrolink ticket or pass when boarding.

"In addition to public transport, there are several destinations on this line that can be easily reached by walking."

For further information and updates, visit the Bee Network website. 

Danny Vaughan, head of Metrolink, said: “Due to damage to the overhead lines between Bury and Radcliffe, there are currently no trams operating between Whitefield and Bury.

“Earlier today (Friday), staff from the operator, Keolis Amey Metrolink, worked as quickly as possible to help passengers safely disembark from a stationary tram near Radcliffe.

“Due to the nature of the location, the only viable option was for passengers to alight the tram with assistance from staff and walk to the nearest tram stop.

“We apologise to any customers this has affected.

"Disruption is expected to last into the evening and we advise people to check the Bee Network website, app or social media channels for further service updates.”