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.
Full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Day 2024
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 27 July, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre – with a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’, and it’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Some city centre roads will be closed on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July for Manchester Day.
These will include:
🛣️Deansgate 🛣️St Ann Street 🛣️St Mary’s Gate 🛣️Market Street 🛣️King Street
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 21, 2024
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Manchester Day is back for 2024 to celebrate the international summer of sport / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2024 – Road Closures
Saturday 27 July
From 6am to 11:59pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street) – access will be maintained to Marks and Spencer’s car park and Number One Deansgate.
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street (Cross Street to Deansgate) – no access for deliveries.
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 6pm on Friday 26 July to 11:59pm on Saturday 27 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street – including the bays outside St Ann’s Church (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Southgate (St Mary’s Street to King Street West)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Victoria Street (Cathedral Approach to Deansgate)
Todd Street (Corporation Street to Station Approach)
King Street (Spring Gardens to Southgate)
South King Street (Ridgefield to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street West (Deansgate to St Mary’s Parsonage)
St James’s Square (John Dalton Street to South King Street)
Cross Street (King Street to Corporation Street)
Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
Marsden Street (Cheapside to Brown Street)
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete
Emily Sergeant
Work currently underway on the Rochdale via Oldham line is expected to take several weeks to complete.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has now “slowed”, and this means that detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works have been able to get underway.
In order for trams to run again on the crucial line from the city centre to the two major Greater Manchester towns, TfGM says that a small section of track has to be moved back – also known as ‘slewed’ – into its original position.
The overhead line poles also need to be repaired too, the transport operator revealed.
Rochdale line update
Land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has slowed, enabling detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works to get underway.
To get trams running again, a small section of track has to be moved back into its original position… pic.twitter.com/byERjitdi1
Unfortunately though, due to the “complex” nature of these works, and despite the fact that TfGM says it’s actively looking to “accelerate” the repairs, the project is expected to take up to five weeks to complete in full.
On top of this, the detailed ground investigations will also establish whether any further work to strengthen foundations beneath the track will be needed at a later date.
TfGM has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete / Credit: TfGM
Speaking on the scale of works currently underway, and how long he expects them to continue for, Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “I’m sorry for the impact this is having, and will continue to have, on people’s journeys.
“We are working to get trams running through the area again, but this remains a complex and challenging issue and it could still be a few weeks before this happens.
“We will of course keep passengers updated, and I’d encourage people to check our social media channels and website for the latest information and advice.”