THE first of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority’s new state-of-the-art Metrolink trams are starting to take shape at their Bombardier production site in Vienna, Austria.

The first tram shell has been completed for engineers to begin installing its electrical systems and interior fittings, and vehicles will be tested this spring ready for delivery to Manchester in the summer.

They will then undergo about three months’ rigorous testing on the Metrolink system to ensure they comply with stringent safety regulations.

The 40 new trams, which will run on the existing network as well as the new routes under construction, will each accommodate 200 passengers and feature a bright silver and yellow livery.

Full-length glass double doors will make them lighter and brighter and provide ready access for wheelchairs, buggies and bulky luggage.

The first tram is due to enter service this autumn following driver training, after which a new vehicle will be added to the fleet each month.

GMPTE is overseeing a £600 million expansion of Metrolink.  Construction work will start later this year, and the new lines are due to open in stages from next year until 2012.

-    Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive’s new park and ride at Lostock station, on the city’s Bolton to Horwich Parkway line, has been completed almost two months ahead of schedule.

With 226 free parking spaces, 14 of which are for special needs users, the new facility has improved lighting, CCTV and areas of landscaping. It replaces the 55-space former car park, which relied on adjacent unsurfaced and often waterlogged ground to cater for overspill.

Landowner Network Rail is currently using part of the site to install a new double junction track layout at Lostock station, which will allow increased train speeds and improved reliability.

- Sheffield Supertram is set to expand its fleet after the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Transport Board gave the green light to a £14.3 million spend by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive to buy four new trams. If approved by the Department for Transport, they could be running in four years’ time.