Additional trams for Christmas

Metrolink customers will have reason for a little extra Christmas cheer, with additional and later running trams set to operate throughout the festive period.

From Saturday, November 23 until Sunday, December 22, Metrolink’s busiest lines will run a six-minute service for up to two-and-a-half extra hours in the evening, until 9pm – allowing customers to take advantage of increased capacity and more frequent services.

Trams will also continue to run at least an hour later on Friday and Saturday nights.

As well as giving people enjoying a night out on the town a chance to catch a later tram home, the move will be a boost to some of the 414,000 people that work in jobs or businesses at night – around 33% of Greater Manchester’s workforce.

Employment in the night-time economy has grown 45% faster in Greater Manchester since 2001 compared to the economy as a whole.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “I am committed to improving Greater Manchester’s transport system and one of the things I want to see is later running public transport.

“I’ve been working closely with TfGM and Sacha Lord to look at how we can improve night-time transport and help people get home quickly and safely after work or after a night out.

"So, I’m really pleased we can introduce these enhancements, which will be a welcome boost for the many people that will be working, shopping or socialising over the Christmas period.

“We will be closely monitoring the uptake to help inform our long-term plans, and ensure we have a transport system that works for everyone.”

The Christmas season is the busiest time of year for Metrolink – an additional 300,000 passenger journeys are made during December (approximately 10,000 extra trips a day) compared to the annual monthly average.

A recent survey about night-time transport across Greater Manchester saw almost than 11,000 people respond.

The move complements the recent introduction of later running free bus services in the city centre.

The service is provided by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Manchester City Council and serves some of Manchester’s most popular destinations until midnight.

Customer Services Representatives and TravelSafe Officers will continue to work during the extended hours to help customers on their Metrolink journeys.

Details of the enhanced timetable will be available from www.tfgm.com from November 17. 

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