Manchester Metrolink
Tram · Manchester · Transport for Greater Manchester
9 lines · 99 stations · 66 interchanges
Every line drawn through its stations. Tap a line in the legend to hide or show it.
Lines
- Altrincham - BuryAltrincham - Bury25
- Ashton-under-Lyne - EcclesAshton-under-Lyne - Eccles27
- Bury - PiccadillyBury - Piccadilly15
- Etihad Campus - MediaCityUKEtihad Campus - MediaCityUK23
- Manchester Airport - VictoriaManchester Airport - Victoria25
- Piccadilly - AltrinchamPiccadilly - Altrincham14
- Rochdale Town Centre - East DidsburyRochdale Town Centre - East Didsbury33
- Shaw and Crompton - East DidsburyShaw and Crompton - East Didsbury27
- The Trafford Centre - Deansgate-CastlefieldThe Trafford Centre - Deansgate-Castlefield8
Quick facts
- Operator
- Transport for Greater Manchester runs Metrolink as part of the Bee Network.
- Payment
- Use contactless tap-in/tap-out or buy a ticket before boarding.
- Tap in and tap out with the same card or device so the Bee Network can calculate the fare.
- ContactlessTap in/out
- Airport links
- Metrolink serves Manchester Airport, but the rail train to Piccadilly is often faster for central Manchester.
- Use the airport tram when your destination lines up with the tram network, rather than because it exists.
- Airport link
- Network type
- Light rail and street-running tram network across Greater Manchester.
- Light railStreet-running tram
- Useful visitor pattern
- Best for Salford Quays, MediaCity, Old Trafford, Etihad Campus, Heaton Park, and neighborhoods beyond an easy walk.
- Airport - VictoriaTrafford Centre
Mike’s notes
Manchester has a useful tram network, but the center itself is still walkable. Metrolink matters when your day crosses the edges: Salford Quays, MediaCity, Old Trafford, Etihad Campus, Heaton Park, Trafford Centre, or a hotel that sits away from Piccadilly.
Airport logic
The airport tram is real, but it is not automatically the best airport route. For central Manchester, the heavy rail train to Piccadilly is often faster. The tram makes more sense if your destination sits naturally on the Metrolink network or you are avoiding a separate transfer.
How to pay
Use contactless tap-in/tap-out or buy a ticket before boarding. The main rule is consistency: the same card or device needs to tap at both ends.
Network character
Metrolink is a classic modern tram/light-rail system: some street running, some old railway alignments, and a web that makes Greater Manchester feel connected without making every trip faster than walking. For a visitor, it is a targeted tool, not a replacement for wandering the Northern Quarter and city center on foot.
Short history
1992
Metrolink opens
Manchester converts rail corridors and central streets into a modern light-rail system, one of the UK's defining tram revivals.
2014
Airport line opens
The tram reaches Manchester Airport, adding a rail option that is more useful for network-aligned destinations than for every city-center arrival.
2020
Trafford Park line opens
The network extends to Imperial War Museum North, Trafford Park, and The Trafford Centre.