The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has released its report into a collision between a tram and a cyclist on the Manchester Metrolink near Audenshaw tram stop back in September 2021.

At around 19:25 on the 1st September, a child was riding a bike when it was involved in a collision with a tram at a signal controlled pedestrian crossing at the junction of Droylsden Road and Kershaw Lane.

The tram was travelling from Ashton-under-Lyne towards Manchester and the collision caused serious injuries to the cyclist.

The cyclist was waiting at the pedestrian refuge on Droylsden Road, which is positioned unusually as users need to be aware of traffic in either direction despite being mid-carriageway.

In its report, the RAIB has concluded that the child, who didnt wait for the Puffin crossing indication, was probably too focussed on eastbound traffic and was unaware of the approaching westbound tram.

The RAIB has also found that an underlying factor is that any risk assessment during the design and construction of the East Manchester Line did not identify a hazard to pedestrians created by the layout of the crossing until the construction was too advanced to be changed.

In its report, five recommendations have been made by the RAIB:

The first is that Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (TMBC) should review the layout of the crossing in light of this accident. The second recommendation is that TfGM should review its safety management system to ensure that adequate processes are in place, both within TfGM and within contractors employed by TfGM, to identify hazards and control risks at the design stage of tramway projects. The third recommendation is that the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board (LRSSB) review the application of road safety audits as a means to identify and mitigate hazards during tramway development and construction projects. The fourth recommendation is that Keolis Amey Metrolink (KAM) should review the operational risk assessments covering the operation of trams across the Metrolink network for completeness and adequacy. The fifth recommendation is that TfGM and KAM review the reliability, operation and maintenance of the sanding systems and CCTV systems on M5000 trams.