Transport for Greater Manchester set up a new Twitter account this morning for its Metrolink service.
And it’s been a baptism of fire to say the least, with disgruntled commuters using the service to express their frustration at the tram system, despite what seemed like a pretty confident start:
However, it didn’t last long:
It’s the latest public relations move by TfGM, which began Twitter activity in earnest in August this year, following an embarrassing weekend, which saw thousands of Ashes fans stranded when a tram derailed. Then there was a further apology this week when icy conditions led to delays and a suspension on the Oldham/Rochdale line.
“We have been working hard with the Metrolink operator MRDL to establish a live Twitter feed providing customers with the latest travel information and I’m delighted to say it will be going live at 6.30am Thursday morning,” said Transport for Greater Manchester’s Metrolink director, Peter Cushing.
“We want to ensure Metrolink passengers have the best possible access to live, up-to-date information about services and this new Twitter feed will go a long way towards providing what people want and need.”
The new @McrMetrolink account is running from 6.30am until 7pm on weekdays and 8am to 6pm on weekends. It’s being staffed by the customer services and operations team at its control room at Trafford Bar.
“Twitter will give us another platform with which to build on our provision of travel information to customers. By providing up-to-the-minute details of what’s happening on the Metrolink network we can arm our customers with more accurate travel advice and they in turn can make better choices on their journeys,” added Nicola Watson, communications manager for Metrolink RATP Dev Limited.
