If the phrase: "There may be delays of up to 12 minutes" is familiar to you, then there is no doubting what form of transport you regularly use.

It is 13 years since the Queen officially launched the Metrolink system, and, in many quarters, it has been heralded a runaway success. But ask some passengers, and they might not give such fulsome praise, particularly if they travel at peak times.

Some passengers at stations like Besses and Prestwich cannot physically get aboard, as carriages can be packed to the rafters already. Not a tick in the customer-satisfaction box there. And a rise in mainly off-peak fares at the end of last month is never a welcome pill to swallow.

However, transport bosses do admit there is room for improvement. They are hopeful Metrolink can win new government funding to buy eight new trams to ease overcrowding and improve reliability.

So what's it like tramming it into the big city from Bury . . . we sent trainee reporter LENA EARP out in the "crush-hour" to see for herself and canvas the views of passengers.

The tram seat gamble

IT was not long before the Metrolink made its first impression on me, or rather my pocket.

Getting a return ticket to Victoria cost £4.80, (Phew, glad I can get this back on expenses).

It was 7.25am as I boarded the tram, and it was about half full. But after stops at Radcliffe, Whitefield, Besses, Prestwich and Heaton Park, newly-boarding passengers had more chance of getting six Lottery balls than a seat.

As the journey progressed, more and more people piled on with hardly anyone getting off. I noticed a man standing up looking around at all the people sitting on seats. You could tell he was forlornly thinking: "I wish I could sit down!"

At Crumpsall, even more people got on and by this time all the aisles were full with no room to turn around. People were holding on to railings above their heads trying their best not to fall over the passengers sitting down below.

The people standing around the doors are packed tightly like sardines. But thankfully, it is not long before we arrive in Manchester and I hop off to make a more comfortable return journey. However, there was a certain twist to my assignment.

My task was to get back on the tram to Bury, and do it all again, a second trip to Manchester because this time at 8.20am the trams would also be besieged by schoolchidren.

So, having bought another ticket, I was back inside another crowded carriage.

Passenger Tommy O'Brien (47), of Bury, was not happy with the Metrolink service, and said ticket prices were very dear.

Mr O'Brien who part-owns a hairdressing salon in Manchester said: "There should be more trams, or longer trams. Trying to get a seat on the journey home is even worse!

"It is difficult to get on the tram anywhere from Radcliffe onwards, but I get the tram because it is quicker for me to get to Manchester".

Getting on a bus is not an option for Mr O'Brien as it would take him a lot longer to get to his destination.

As predicted, my second journey to Manchester is noticeably taken over by school children on a few of the stops. From Whitefield onwards the tram is packed full of standing schoolchildren, as well as adults.

At Heaton Park, all the children leave the tram leaving some space in the aisles but there are still no spare seats.

Ms Felice Levine, from Unsworth, told me: "It's not too bad this morning compared to other days."

This was surprising to hear as the tram looked pretty full to me.

The 26-year-old, who works as a human resources officer in Manchester, uses this service every day and admitted there were advantages to commuting on the Metrolink.

She said: "It is a quick service. I know that using this method of travel won't make me late for work. It gets me to Manchester in 20 minutes.

"But I don't like it when I can't get on a tram. This happens when there are delays. There should be more double trams on and more frequent ones too."

She said the busiest time is 7.30am when getting a seat is "very rare", but from 9.30am onwards there is no difficulty getting a seat. She will not use buses anymore as they don't take her to where she wants to go.

"I hate it when you get people standing so close to you that they are breathing down your neck. It makes me feel so claustrophobic, especially if the windows are shut. That's the worst thing for me", she explained.

Queueing for tickets is also a sore point.

"Metrolink should think of other strategies for people paying for tickets. I sometimes pay for my ticket over the phone to save time", added Ms Levine.

On arriving at Victoria, I was able to spring free from the hustle and bustle, realising that many passengers had a love-hate relationship with the service.

Whilst the trams can take them to their destination quickly, it can have its drawbacks at peak times when standing space can often be at a premium.But despite their understandable grumbles, many seem prepared to sacrifice the lack of comfort - for the time being, anyway.