With track replacements currently taking place on parts of Manchester’s Metrolink over the next few weeks, the Bee Network has announced it is offering free travel on Starling Bikes in areas affected by the renewal works.
Work to replace around 1.6km of track at Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield – parts of which are more than 30 years old – is currently underway. Work is also being carried out on part of the Eccles line at the same time.
When will track replacement works take place between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield?
Track replacement work started on Monday 13th July and will continue until Sunday 2nd August.
During this period, no trams will run on the Altrincham, Trafford Centre and Eccles lines, including to and from MediaCity, while the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines will terminate at Firswood with replacement buses calling at affected stops.
How to get around Manchester during the track replacement works
Passengers are encouraged to use the journey planner on the Bee Network app or website to plan their journeys and consider all potential alternatives for getting around, including regular Bee Network buses, trains, and cycling and walking.
20 free minutes off Starling bike rides
To help people get around, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is offering anyone picking up or dropping off a Starling Bike in Firswood, Chorlton and Salford Quays up to 20 free minutes off their rides – 10 minutes each way for an inbound and outbound journey – every day. This includes at docking stations near Firswood where the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines will terminate, as well as Metrolink stops on the Eccles and Trafford Centre lines which will be closed such as MediaCityUK.
The offer is available on Starling Bikes, Greater Manchester’s publicly operated, self-service, 24/7 bike hire scheme. This offer includes e-bikes, which now make up half of the Starling Bikes fleet. A full list of Starling Bike stations and a map showing where the offer applies is available here.
To unlock a bike and use the offer, passengers will need to download the Starling Bikes app, where they can check if a bike is available at their preferred docking station. TfGM will make sure as many bikes as possible are available in areas affected by the Metrolink works but cannot guarantee availability.
Cycling routes
If you’re travelling from Chorlton or Firswood into Manchester city centre, you can use the Chorlton Cycleway which provides protected cycle lanes from Barlow Moor Road, all the way to Deansgate via Upper Chorlton Road, Chorlton Road and Chester Road.
If you’re travelling from Stretford or Old Trafford into Manchester city centre, you can use the recently completed Stretford Cycleway which provides protected cycle lanes on Chester Road and Talbot Road and join the Chorlton Cycleway via Stretford Road.
If you’re travelling to and from Salford Quays, you can use the dedicated cycling and walking routes along Trafford Road and link up with the Liverpool Street Corridor via Cross Lane. You can also hire a Starling Bike or Lime e-scooter to travel on this route.
Bike libraries
Bike libraries are local hubs where people can borrow a bicycle, like a book, to try out. They aim to boost access to cycles and give people a chance to give cycling a go.
Greater Manchester’s bike libraries are grassroots community projects. You can find your nearest bike library on the TfGM website and contact them for details on how to register. A wide range of options to borrow or loan a bike are available here.
Accessible transport
All buses in Greater Manchester meet legal accessibility standards while new zero-emission electric Bee Network buses have enhanced accessibility features, including two wheelchair spaces, audio-visual announcements and a hearing induction loop.
Disabled people and older people with walking difficulties can also use Ring and Ride, which offers accessible, low-cost transport with door-to-door journeys of up to six miles in Greater Manchester. To use Ring and Ride, you must have a disabled or older person’s TfGM travel pass or voucher.
Other alternative modes of travel
Public hire e-scooters provided by Lime are also available in Salford, including at MediaCity, allowing passengers to ride all the way from Eccles to the edge of the city centre, near Manchester Victoria. For more information, visit the Lime website.
“There’s never a good time to close parts of the network, but while services are suspended during the warmer summer months, why not give active travel a go?”
Danny Vaughan, Chief Network Officer at Transport for Greater Manchester, said: “We know that this vitally important work on the Metrolink will have a big impact on passengers and we apologise for the disruption. We’re encouraging everyone to plan ahead by using the journey planner on the Bee Network app or website.
“We’ve got regular Bee Network buses that you can hop on for just £2 using Tap and Go as well as our replacement buses. We’d also like to encourage people to try walking, cycling and wheeling for part of their journey where possible.
“That’s why we’re offering up to 20 minutes of free travel on Starling Bikes every day, from and to stops in areas affected by the Metrolink works. We also offer accessible alternatives to the tram, with all our Bee Network buses meeting accessibility standards while older and disabled people can use Ring and Ride.
“There’s never a good time to close parts of the network, but while services are suspended during the warmer summer months, why not give active travel a go?”
