Passengers will be able to board trams from the new Exchange Square stop before Christmas, transport bosses have revealed.

Work on the new Corporation Street station is gathering pace and bosses say the work will be finished before the busy festive period.

Tram tracks have already been laid at either side of the ‘island-style’ platform, outside the Manchester Arndale’s Next store, and a striking coloured steel and glass canopy – with four ‘floating’ overlapping glazed roof panels – has been installed.

After the station’s launch, trams will run between Exchange Square to Shaw and Crompton, meaning an increased number of trams available for people travelling towards Oldham.

The project is part of Metrolink’s Second City Crossing project, and linked to a £1bn transport investment plan over the next two years.

As the entire Second City Crossing network is completed in 2017, trams will start running from Exchange Square to St Peter’s Square via Cross Street.

Coun Jim McMahon, transport lead for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, said: “The new Exchange Square stop is already looking impressive and it will be a great addition to this busy area of the city.

“In the short term it means a more frequent service between Shaw and Crompton, Oldham and the city centre but crucially, in future, the completed Second City Crossing will allow Metrolink to run more frequent and reliable tram services through our expanding city.

“That means improved access to jobs, shops, culture and leisure right across the region, boosting local economies as well as Manchester city centre.”

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Manchester council say the final design for the stop will make the most of limited space in Exchange Square, while keeping plenty of room for pedestrians.

Video: Second city crossing

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Peter Cushing, TfGM’s Metrolink director, said: “All along we’ve been hoping to get the Exchange Square stop up and running before Christmas, and it’s great to see we’re on track to meet that target.

“The new stop will be a great addition to this lively area of the city and we look forward to helping even more people come into the very heart of Manchester.”

An opening date for the stop will be confirmed by TfGM nearer the time.

As part of the Second City Crossing project the Deansgate-Castlefield stop has been completely transformed, and work is already underway to build a new tram stop in St Peter’s Square, which is being expanded from two platforms to four.