This will include several double trams operating between Altrincham-Etihad Campus, Bury-Piccadilly, and to East Didsbury.
The confirmation of the continuation of the well-received services comes as TfGM has also announced this week that more frequent and extended Metrolink services are being introduced in the new year too, in a bid to cater for and meet increased public demand – with the number of passengers travelling by tram across Greater Manchester continuing to grow, and some now even reaching the same levels as pre-pandemic.
Good news! In the New Year there will be changes to the tram service including a new six-minute service between Etihad Campus and Manchester City centre from 7am.
The late-night trams will also keep running along with more trams on the Altrincham and Bury lines.
This means that, from Tuesday 2 January 2024, a revamped timetable will see a new six-minute service between Etihad Campus and Manchester city centre from 7am until the end of service, which will be made possible by extending Altrincham-Piccadilly services to the Etihad Campus at the following times:
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After the termination of MediaCityUK-Etihad Campus peak service (after 8pm Monday to Friday, and after 6:30pm on Saturdays) until the end of service
All-day on Sundays
There will also be an uplift in the number of trams operating on the Altrincham and Bury lines too, after TfGM says it has seen “encouraging signs of passenger growth”, with double trams set to operate between the newly-extended Altrincham-Etihad Campus service, as well as Bury-Piccadilly services, once 2024 arrives.
Manchester’s late-night trams will continue into the new year / Credit: Matthew Waring (via Unsplash)
Between Monday and Saturday, double trams will operate from the start of service on the Bury-Piccadilly and Altrincham-Piccadilly lines, with doubles introduced on Altrincham-Etihad Campus services after 6:30pm too.
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And then on Sundays, there’ll be a mixture of single and double trams – with the majority being doubles – between Altrincham-Etihad Campus, and Bury-Piccadilly.
Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, says he’s “delighted” that more Metrolink services are being added in the new year, as the public transport system “provides a vital connection” for people travelling between the north and south of the region.
“These changes, combined with the late-night trams, will provide a real boost to regular passengers,” he concluded.
Featured Image – Jakob Cotton (via Unsplash)
Boroughs
M&S launches massive recruitment drive in Greater Manchester with hundreds of jobs available
Emily Sergeant
M&S has launched a massive recruitment drive across Greater Manchester.
With the festive season fast approaching, and most British stores having already unveiled their Christmas ranges for 2026, one of the country’s largest brands has launched a massive UK-wide seasonal recruitment drives to gear up for what is always one of the busiest times of the year for the retail industry.
M&S has announced it will recruit more than 300 new colleagues to support its store teams across Greater Manchester this festive season.
As mentioned Christmas is one of the busiest moments of the year for M&S, and seasonal colleagues play a ‘vital’ part in delivering that.
New recruits will be tasked with helping M&S deliver a ‘brilliant’ service for customers.
Stores with vacancies span the whole of Greater Manchester – including Altrincham, Bolton Middlebrook, Bury The Rock, Manchester Market Street, Prestwich, Sale, Stockport, Stretford, Trafford Centre, and Walkden.
M&S has launched a massive recruitment drive in Greater Manchester with hundreds of jobs available / Credit: M&S Manchester | Supplied
M&S says the roles are ‘fast-moving and hands-on’, with colleagues required to work together to make sure customers still get the very best of M&S, even at its busiest.
The roles will pay £13.41 per hour, with successful applicants receiving the training, tools and support needed to get up to speed quickly.
“We can’t wait to welcome over 300 new colleagues to our store teams here in Greater Manchester,” commented Zeba Khan, who is the Regional Manager at M&S.
“As we get ready for our busiest time of year, it’s a great opportunity to join us and help bring a magical M&S Christmas to our customers.
“We have a range of opportunities available, whether joining our city centre flagship or our fresh market-style foodhalls. We’re looking for colleagues who are passionate about delivering great customer service and being part of a team.”
If you need bringing up to speed a little, as part of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network, essential improvement work is being carried out on three major Metrolink lines across the region in a bid to make the network ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable for passengers’ for years to come.
This means that from today (Monday 19 October) through to Sunday 1 November, tram improvement works will take place at Deansgate-Castlefield, and Trafford Bar.
Additional works will also take place in the city centre during this time, allowing TfGM to keep closures of the tram network to a minimum.
During the dates above, no trams will run on the Altrincham, Trafford Centre, and Eccles lines.
A number of shuttle bus services will the running over the course of the two-week closure, however – with services arriving every 10 or 15 minutes, depending on the line, and you can find a full list of these here.
But despite the alternative services, widespread disruption is still expected for hundreds of people.
TfGM has issued a statement on the works being carried out, and offered support to anyone who may need it: “This is essential work that will help keep our tram network safe, reliable and fit for the future. We’re sorry for the disruption and we’ll be doing everything we can to make sure people can still get around while it’s taking place.
“We’ve listened carefully to feedback from customers during previous closures and have introduced more direct shuttle buses between key locations and extra buses on local Bee Network routes.
“If you use any of the affected lines, now is the time to check your travel plans.
“We’d encourage everyone to visit the Bee Network website or app before travelling so they can see the options available to them and allow extra time where necessary.”
Services will resume on these lines from start of service on Monday 2 November.
However there will be some minor route changes through the city centre in place from Monday 2 to Wednesday 4 November, so it’s important to check your journey before you travel.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd December 2023 
