Christmas comes early for tram passengers
METROLINK trams will run from Manchester city centre until almost 2am for Christmas, the M.E.N. can reveal.
The timetable changes – a huge boost for city centre workers and people out ahead of Christmas – mean last trams on Friday and Saturdays will leave St Peter’s Square in Manchester shortly before 2am. The move complements the recent extension of the free city centre buses until midnight.
Figures show an extra 300,000 passenger journeys are made in December – around 10,000 a day –compared to the annual monthly average.
The extra trams will have TravelSafe security staff, a spokesman said.
The later running trams – and additional six-minute services – run from Saturday, November 23, until Sunday, December 22. Metrolink does not run on Christmas Day.
Trams on Friday and Saturday nights will continue to run at least an hour later than they currently do.
Currently the last weekend service from St Peter’s Square to Bury, changing at Victoria, departs at 12.30am. That would change to 1.42am.
The changes mean the last weekend service from St Peter’s Square to Altrincham would depart at 1.49am. On the
East Didsbury line, it would be 1.48am, with a 1.39am departure to Eccles, 1.16am for Manchester Airport, 1.26am to Rochdale and 1.34am to Ashton.
TfGM has also announced the extension of services every six minutes until 9pm, Monday to Friday, on the Bury to Altrincham, Ashton to Eccles and East Didsbury to Shaw and Crompton lines.
More than 11,000 people have now responded to a survey launched in August to gauge public opinion on, and shape future plans for, Greater Manchester’s public transport links.
Survey results will strengthen any bid to Government for funds and powers to make changes, said Sacha Lord, Greater Manchester’s night tsar.
TfGM said in a statement: “As well as helping people enjoying a night out, the move will be a boost to some of the 414,000 people that work in jobs or businesses at night”.
TfGM said customer services representatives and TravelSafe officers would work during the extended hours to assist passengers and give security.
The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said extensions would be closely monitored to shape future policy. He said: “I am committed to improving Greater Manchester’s transport system and one of the things I want is later running public transport.”
Details of the timetable will be available at www.tfgm.com from November 17.