Metrolink has announced that later running trams will be making a return to Manchester later this month. The reinstatement of trams running later into the night comes as Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has seen a return in demand with passenger numbers recently going back to pre-pandemic levels.
On Fridays and Saturdays, from September 29, trams will run every 20 minutes between midnight and 1am. Exact departure times will vary depending on the line and stop.
The move also comes as Metrolink announced that it will be bringing back the MediaCityUK to Etihad Campus peak service trams later this month. The service is set to be reintroduced from September 25 following the completion of engineering works between Eccles and Weaste.
Trams will run between MediaCityUK and Etihad Campus every 12 minutes between 7am and 8pm Monday to Friday, and from 9am until 6.30pm on Saturdays. The change means there will be a six minute service at peak times between Harbour City and Etihad Campus.
Earlier in the year, Trafford Council unanimously approved a campaign for trams to run until the late hours of the night. The council followed the example of neighbouring Greater Manchester borough, Salford, which submitted a motion in October 2022 asking the authority to back their call for Metrolink trams to run until 2am during the week and until 4am at weekends.
The Salford Council motion proposed to ask TfGM 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. Likewise, Trafford Council requested Metrolink services running beyond 11.55pm on the Altrincham to Bury line to carry both hospitality workers and revellers home.
Manchester trams will run late on Fridays and Saturdays until 1am at night and will return from September 29. Customers can check last tram times to/from other stops and plan their journey here.