A campaign for trams to run through the night until the early hours of the morning across Greater Manchester reached a Salford City Council meeting today (October 19). Liberal Democrat councillors submitted a motion asking the authority to back their call for Metrolink trams to run until 2am during the week and until 4am at weekends.
Currently trams stop running in Greater Manchester at midnight seven days a week, leaving those working or enjoying themselves late into the early hours face a curfew for the tram, expensive taxis, or a risky walk home in the dark. However, councillors have requested a service that “suits workers, residents and tourists” and are citing a petition run over the last two years which has “hundreds of signatures”.
The motion says that following the pandemic “…our city has bounced back in a big way. Gigs, restaurants, clubbing, and festivals have blossomed in the wake of the pandemic with millions flocking to Salford and Greater Manchester to pursue this entertainment.”
It goes on to mention that Ella Watson, a local resident in London, successfully campaigned to get the night tube reinstated to increase women’s safety in the city. The motion continues, saying: “A late-night level of access to Greater Manchester’s tram services is the best option to ensure thousands of women across the region can get home safely in the evenings and at night.
“Millions of people enjoy and work as part of the city’s famous and vibrant night-time economy. Let’s provide commuter services that extend beyond the nine-to-five for our hospitality workers.”
The motion proposes to ask Transport for Greater Manchester to run a three-month trial of the ‘night trams’ on the Eccles via Media City to Ashton-under-Lyne services, and to monitor its success. It will also ask Salford city mayor Paul Dennett to write to Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham for their support.