The first main upgrades of the year will start over the Easter weekend as travel bosses issue a warning
18:51, 26 Mar 2026Updated 19:01, 26 Mar 2026
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has issued a ‘plan ahead’ warning for passengers as major tram improvements are planned for the Easter weekend. Passengers are being urged to plan their journeys in advance as ‘the first main upgrades of the year’ get underway.
The upgrades come as part of a £150m investment in the network, with more than 1km of track being replaced on the Altrincham line. Work over the Easter weekend will also take place between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield to prepare for full track replacement later in the year.
TfGM says it is doing the works to make Greater Manchester’s tram network ‘more reliable, resilient and safe for years to come’. As a result, there will be no trams on the Altrincham, Eccles and Trafford Park lines all day from Friday 3 to Monday 6 April. The East Didsbury and Airport lines will run to Firswood only.
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Services on the Rochdale line will terminate at Exchange Square and other tram service changes include Bury – Ashton-under-Lyne and Bury/Victoria – Etihad Campus.
Ian Davies, TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “The first main upgrades of the year get under way over the Easter weekend, as our £150m programme to improve our network continues.
“We’ll be doing everything we can to minimise disruption to passengers while we carry out this essential work to ensure our tram network remains reliable, resilient and safe for years to come.
“Staff will be out across the network and replacement buses will call at all affected stops, and I would encourage our passengers to plan ahead using the Bee Network app and website. Our social media channels are also a great way of keeping up to date with all the latest travel information.”
Replacement buses will run between all the affected stops, with passengers on replacement buses needing a valid Metrolink ticket. Customers will be able to use all existing options payment options to buy a ticket but passengers will not be able to buy a ticket or pay for the fare on the replacement buses.
Additional works later this year
Later in April, on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12, no trams will run between Piccadilly Gardens and Ashton-under-Lyne while the track is repaired.
A further weekend closure on the Ashton line, also for track repairs, will take place on Saturday, April 25 and Sunday April 26. On these dates no trams will run between Etihad Campus and Ashton-under-Lyne. Tram services from Eccles (via MediaCityUK) will go as far as Etihad Campus.
Repairs will continue until the autumn at various locations, including Monsall, Newton Heath & Moston, Eccles, Derker and Piccadilly Gardens. Trams will not be able to run on some lines while the work is done.
While the improvements are delivered throughout the summer, a temporary timetable will see trams run every 15 minutes all day, with peak services running every 7 minutes at the busiest times on most lines.
TfGM says this will allow the operator to undertake one of the biggest recruitment drives in recent times, taking on and training up dozens of new drivers.
Travel advice to help you plan your journey during the Easter weekend closure can be found on a dedicated section of the Bee Network website. For further information on tram improvement works, passengers are urged to visit the dedicated webpage on the Bee Network website.