Michael Groves

Programme Manager - Transport for Great Manchester

Mike has over 25 years of experience of safely delivering schemes to cost, time and budget in the UK and overseas. His project, programme management and portfolio management experience is across a wide variety of themes including law enforcement, immigration, healthcare and for the last 15 years or so, transport. 

He’s been lucky enough to see his schemes win awards such as European Customer Service scheme of the year, Team of the Year, and for his editing & directorial debut, Film of the Year. Whilst awaiting his call up for the next James Bond trilogy, over the last 5 years, he’s led the Greater Manchester Metrolink Renewals and Enhancements Programme (MREP), which will have delivered over £150m of system critical projects by the end of March 2027, and hopefully much more in the future. 

In his spare time, he ‘enjoys’ getting repeatedly injured in a plethora of different ways whilst forlornly trying to regain the physique he had 30 years ago. #epicfail

Session | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: Stakeholder Management in the context of asset renewals of the GM Metrolink network

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is client / scheme promoter for hundreds of high profile and beneficial transportation schemes across all 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester, many gaining national and international recognition. Selling the benefits of shiny new assets such as Metrolink line extensions or new stops are relatively straightforward in stakeholder terms – utilising disused land or upgrading assets that customers can see clear benefits in can mean stakeholders, from mayoral level down to individuals impacted by the works are relatively happy/understanding. But when delivering extensive renewals of existing older, worn infrastructure such as our older tracks with little material difference for stakeholders to see, it’s much more challenging. 

Initially providing an overview of the Manchester Metrolink Light Rail network, this session will look at the many levels of stakeholders we have and several case studies of recent TfGM Metrolink track renewal projects, undertaken in various settings, the numerous challenges and how the team has overcome them including what do you do when Manchester Crown Court does not want to be disturbed during the day and adjacent city centre hotels do not want to be disturbed during the night and all whilst trying to minimise the impact on the tens of thousands of travelling Metrolink customers.