There could have been tears on the tracks after a motorist took a wrong turning at a major road junction and found themselves driving along tram lines, eventually pulling up at a stop in Ashton-under-Lyne, east of Manchester.
An amazing photograph captured the incident at Metrolink's Ashton West station, showing an emergency utility vehicle parked in front of the errant silver hatchback, with its orange light flashing and headlights full on as if to warn any oncoming public transport. The silver car could be seen facing the opposite direction, with an oncoming tram literally stopped in its tracks while a police officer and bystanders looked on.
A worker in a hi-vis jacket could be seen on the tracks beside the car and in the path of the stationary tram. Despite the potential seriousness of the New Year's Eve incident, Great Manchester Police's Newton Heath, Clayton & Openshaw unit kept it light when recounting events in a tweet published at 3:44 on the morning of New Year's Day.
They said: "Oh dear… GMP Transport Unit attended an incident whereby a driver continued a distance up the tramlines before realisation set in at the Met Stop on Ashton Old Rd earlier… all sorted now! Happy new year everyone and make sure you travel safe in 2023, whatever mode of transport!"
An overhead satellite image of the area shows the road layout and how at night time and a little confusion the error could have happened. The tramlines and Ashton West Station can be seen sandwiched between the north two-lane carriageway of the A6140 Lord Sheldon Way and the south carriageway. Although there are no barriers that come down when trams pass, there are no-entry signs and bollards.
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