The Mancunian Way: What about a night tram?

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Hello

Would you get the Metrolink in the early hours of the morning? It would certainly make the dash through town to catch the last tram less stressful.

Services currently run until midnight, but there have been calls for them to be extended until 2am on weeknights and 4am on weekends. Councillors in Salford say it would suit workers, residents and tourists and are calling for a three-month trial on the Eccles via Media City to Ashton-under-Lyne service.

The Liberal Democrat group have put forward a motion citing the work of Ella Watson, a Londoner who successfully campaigned for a late night services on the tube to increase women's safety in the capital. They say it would also provide a commuter service that extends beyond the 9 - 5 for our hospitality workers.

It’s a great idea in principle. After all, who wouldn’t prefer more public transport options?

But the Metrolink is not yet back to pre-Covid passenger levels and in recent months there has been a question mark over its future.

In the 30 years since the first Metrolink service set off from Bury station, the network has expanded to include seven lines to 93 stops, with new lines also being considered. But passenger numbers plummeted during the pandemic, falling from 45.6m in 2019 to 30.6m as of this September.

A recovery grant of £124m between March 2020 and April 2022 came from the government and there was an extra tranche of £20.5m to bolster the service until October. Experts say continued government funding while