Andy Burnham says there’s a “good chance” that late night trams will return to Greater Manchester before this year is out.
We all know that Manchester is a major city with a reputation for being home to the 24-hour party people and a nightlife scene that’s globally renowned – but our public transport offering has never quite matched that same energy.
Metrolink trams currently run until about midnight, but if you cast your minds back to the autumn of 2019, you might remember they ran all the way through to almost 2am as part of a ‘festive enhancement’ that was championed by both Mayor Andy Burnham and Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Adviser Sacha Lord, and benefitted both the public and an estimated 414,000 night-time workers across the city centre.
But when the COVID pandemic hit and lockdowns shuttered our world, late night trams were suspended and have not returned since.
Andy Burnham says there’s a ‘good chance’ late night trams will return later this year / Credit: David Dixon (via Geograph)
Andy Burnham and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has been met with countless calls for the transport offering to make a return in recent years, and while the possibility has been discussed and teased, nothing has ever materialised or been confirmed.
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The Mayor has, however, now renewed fresh hope of a comeback last week and hinted that there’s a “good chance” late night trams could return this autumn, the MEN reports.
Mr Burnham hinted at their possible return during an interview on BBC Radio Manchester.
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☎️Walter asks: “There are no parking spots in the city centre, and why does the tram end at midnight?”
🗣️“There’s not as much as there used to be,” says Andy. “I will bring back later running Friday and Saturday as soon as I can. We will make public transport much cheaper than…
— Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham (@MayorofGM) July 6, 2023
During his weekly radio question and answer phone-in session last Thursday (6 July), while responding to a message from his transport commissioner Vernon Everitt, the Mayor admitted that he would like to see trams running later on the weekends, and confirmed that he had asked Mr Everitt to look into it.
“I asked [Mr Everitt] to take a look at this issue about late running and he’s just text me to say there’s a good chance we can bring it back in the autumn,” Mr Burnham explained, before adding that he’ll “try and confirm that soon.”
He continued: “We’d all love to do it if we can do it prudently by not creating a bigger black hole in the budget”.
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The Mayor of Greater Manchester has faced calls to bring the transport option back the past few years / Credit: Flickr
When further pressed by BBC Radio Manchester presenter Mike Sweeney to talk a little more about late night trams making a return, Mr Burnham went on to say: “I think we do need to reinstate later running on Metrolink at the weekend [but] the only reason why I hesitate is because we’ve got a shortfall in passengers still and we haven’t got the funding.
Government aims to ‘turn the tide’ on homelessness with £1 billion funding boost
Emily Sergeant
Nearly £1 billion of funding is being pumped into Council budgets to help “break the cycle of spiralling homelessness” in 2025.
As part of the Government‘s wider ‘Plan For Change’, and in a bid to help tackle, reduce, and prevent homelessness next year, it’s been announced that more resources will be be made available for workers on the frontline who provide essential services to get rough sleepers off the street and into secure housing.
This significant investment means Councils will now be “better equipped” to step in early and stop households from becoming homeless in the first place.
According to the Government’s plans, these funded measures will include mediation with landlords or families to prevent evictions, helping homeless people find new homes, and providing deposits to access private renting.
This government is determined to tackle, reduce and prevent homelessness.
— Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Gov (@mhclg) December 18, 2024
The funding will also be used to address the growing use of B&Bs and nightly-let accommodation, and the streamlining of funding structures to make it easier for Councils to spend their cash.
Areas across the UK can also choose to channel resources into services such as Housing First.
Housing First has been massively successful in Greater Manchester, and has helped house hundreds of our region’s rough sleepers since it was first piloted, being described as “life-changing” along the way.
More than £633 million of the funding will be allocated for the Homelessness Prevention Grant – which is a £192 million increase from this year – while £185.6 million will go to the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant, more than £37 million to the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, and £5 million will be for the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots.
This new £1 billion funding boost comes after it was announced back in September that Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will be abolished in England next year as part of the landmark Renters’ Rights Bill.
It will also look to support the Government’s ambition to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation – with an extra £500 million ploughed into the Affordable Homes Programme to build tens of thousands of affordable homes across the country.
Featured Image – Gary Knight (via Flickr)
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Avanti West Coast staff set to strike on major days over festive period
Emily Sergeant
Avanti West Coast staff are set to strike on some major days over the festive period, it has been announced.
Train managers who are members of the RMT Union will stage industrial action on New Year’s Eve and 2 January 2025 after “overwhelmingly rejecting” the train company’s “inadequate proposals” on rest day working arrangements.
On top of this, strikes will also go ahead on Sundays between 12 January and 25 May too.
According to the union, up to 400 members are involved in the dispute with Avanti, and 83% of those voted against a suggested deal.
Strikes were previously planned for 22, 23, and 29 December as well, but they were suspended last week after a suggested agreement was put to a referendum of RMT members.
Avanti West Coast staff are set to strike on several major days over the festive period / Credit: Avanti West Coast
“Our members have resoundingly rejected Avanti’s latest offers in two referendums,” explained an RMT spokesperson. “Sustained strike action is now the only way to focus management’s minds on reaching a negotiated settlement with the union.”
In case you weren’t familiar, Avanti’s West Coast Main Line operates six routes along the west of the UK, including from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, as well as services from London to other major cities such as to Blackpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Holyhead, Wrexham, and Liverpool.
Avanti has warned its customers that the strikes will likely cause “significant disruption” on the West Coast Main Line.
The train operator took to X to assure that its plans will be confirmed “as soon as possible”.
The RMT union has announced strike action affecting Avanti West Coast on 31 December and 2 January, along with all Sundays from 12 January to 25 May 2025. We’re looking at how this industrial action will impact our services and we’ll confirm our plans as soon as possible.
“The RMT union has announced strike action affecting Avanti West Coast on 31 December and 2 January, along with all Sundays from 12 January to 25 May 2025,” the statement reads on X.
“We’re looking at how this industrial action will impact our services and we’ll confirm our plans as soon as possible.”
An Avanti West Coast spokesperson also added in response to the industrial action being called yesterday: “We’re disappointed our train managers who are RMT members have voted to decline the very reasonable, revised offer made to them to resolve the rest day working dispute and avoid inconveniencing our customers.
Emily Sergeant -
10th July 2023 
