Metrolink to see further £21.4 million investment

More than £20 million will be invested to improve the Metrolink network over the next 12 months, to ensure services remain safe and reliable for years to come. 

Greater Manchester’s tram system is the UK’s largest light rail network and currently has 99 stops across 64 miles of track. More than 700 million journeys have been made on the Metrolink since opening in 1992.

The £21.4 million funding – from the government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) – will ensure the network keeps on delivering safe, reliable and accessible services for millions more people into the future. Approved by the city-region’s Bee Network committee on 22nd February, the work is part of a planned £147 million package to maintain, upgrade and improve the network up to 2027.

Also already underway is work to prepare the business case for extending the Metrolink’s East Didsbury line into Stockport town centre, with tram passengers currently able to make connections into the borough through integrated Any Bus + Tram ticketing.

Metrolink passenger numbers are back to pre-pandemic levels during the weekday peak times and even busier on weekends. With 130,000 journeys on an average weekday, work on the network is planned carefully to keep disruption to a minimum. 

 Danny Vaughan, TfGM’s Head of Metrolink, said:

“Metrolink is an integral part of the Bee Network, and it’s really important that we invest in it so that we can continue to provide a safe, reliable and positive experience for the thousands of people who travel with us every day.  

“This is a coordinated package of planned works to maintain, renew and improve the network and help to keep Greater Manchester moving, and while we understand any disruption can be frustrating, we’ll be doing everything we can to keep it to a minimum. 

“We will make sure passengers know what’s happening well in advance and I’d ask people to please bear with us while the works are carried out, as the benefits will be there to be enjoyed for years to come.”