Cubis Rail Products Help Speed Expansion of Manchester Metrolink

With 7 lines, 93 stations and 60 miles of track Manchester’s Metrolink is one of the largest light rail networks in the UK. Having been used successfully across the existing network, the design team from Aecom specified a range of Cubis’ network access products for the latest major extension, the Trafford Park Line.

Cubis’ STAKKAbox™ access pits and MULTIduct™ cable protection system were selected for trackside drainage, communications, power and signaling pit applications due to their speed of installation, flexibility, and adaptability. With the city centre location restricting site access to heavy plant Cubis’ lightweight, easy to handle, modular and structural products where easily delivered to site and installed by contractor Laing O’Rourke.

Laing O’Rourke’s installation teams found that STAKKAbox™ provided a very adaptable trackside pit access solution for the communications and power cabling network to the light rail track. Adjustability of entry points for ducts into the pit system was crucial due to varying construction levels throughout the tight compact city center site. Utilising Cubis’ structural cable protection product MULTIduct™ the installation team was able to adjust the inlet heights of the 4, 6, 9 and 4 way XL units whilst offering an increased capacity over traditional ducts into a smaller excavation. Reducing burial depth and using as dug material for reinstatement vastly reduced the time of installation.