Manchester Metrolink

Manchester Metrolink is a tram and light rail system in Greater Manchester. It runs on 64 miles of track with 99 stops, making it Britain’s largest light rail network. Eight lines fan out from the city centre to places like Altrincham, Bury and Manchester Airport. Some tracks share roads with traffic, while others run on separate routes or old railway lines. The system carries over 46 million passengers each year. The idea for Metrolink came after plans for a tunnel between two main stations failed to get funding in the 1970s. A cheaper light rail scheme was approved in 1988 and opened in 1992. It was the first modern street-running rail system in the country. Since then, the network has grown in stages, with the latest line reaching The Trafford Centre in 2020. More extensions are planned, including the use of tram-train technology. A visitor finds a modern fleet of 147 Bombardier trams running every twelve minutes on each route. Some busy lines use double trams coupled together. The city-centre route passes through Market Street and St Peter’s Square before reaching Deansgate-Castlefield. The Eccles Line serves Salford Quays, where trams run beside regenerated waterside areas. The network links homes, workplaces and attractions across the region.