Next phase of £150 million tram investment to begin

The next phase of a £150 million investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network will begin in May 2026.

The essential track replacement work will make the network safer and more resilient and reliable for years to come ahead of planned expansion of the network into Stockport and other parts of the city-region.

There will be no trams between Victoria and Rochdale town centre for two weeks, from Saturday 16 to Friday 29 May. This is due to improvement work taking place on the Oldham-Rochdale line.

From Monday 25 to Friday 29 May, improvement work will take place at Piccadilly Gardens updating equipment that has been in place since the line opened in 1992. No trams will run between St Peter’s Square/Market Street and Piccadilly during this time, affecting trams through the city centre, as well as passengers who arrive in Manchester by bus or train and continue their journey by Metrolink.

People are being encouraged to plan their journey while the work is carried out.

Ian Davies, TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said:

“These improvements are part of our continued £150m investment to make our tram network safer, more reliable and more resilient for the long term.

“It’s a really big job, which means we have to close the line to get it done, but in the longer term this will make a real difference to everyone that travels with us.“We’d like to thank people for their patience while this essential work takes place. We’ll have replacement bus services in place, and our staff will be out across the network to help everyone make their journey as usual.

“I’d strongly encourage everyone travelling during this period to plan ahead, as some tram services will need to change while we carry out this essential work. The best way for customers to stay informed and plan their journey is by using the Bee Network website or app.”

For further information please see the dedicated tram improvement works page on the Bee Network website.