Six Metrolink lines heading to Greater Manchester

Authorities push a long term plan to extend tram lines across the city region, with a decade or more before opening.

Six Metrolink lines will connect every corner of Greater Manchester

Public transport chiefs have started work on six new Metrolink lines that would extend tram services across Greater Manchester and into Cheshire after the government approved earlier extensions. A Bee Network committee report outlines 15 candidate lines and says preparatory work on six routes will begin within the next year. planning focuses on three autumn 2025 strategic outline cases tied to Manchester Airport: Stockport to Airport tram train, Airport Western Leg, and Altrincham to Airport with possible mid Cheshire links. A second outline case, planned for next summer, covers the north west quadrant: Salford Quays to Salford Crescent, City centre to Salford Crescent, and a route from Wigan via Atherton with Bolton and Leigh options. If realized, trams would reach every Greater Manchester borough for the first time in the system’s 33-year history.

Tram train technology will feature on the Heywood extension, with vehicles using overhead power on some sections and batteries on others. Planning work also targets a next generation of Metrolink vehicles, with initial indications of about 60 metre, high-capacity units that allow passengers to walk through the full length of the carriage. Current fleets of 147 M5000 trams are expected to remain in service only into the late 2030s, underscoring the scale and urgency of renewal alongside expansion.

The project signals a bold shift in regional transport planning, aiming to fuse airport access with a city-wide network. The long timelines raise questions about funding, political backing, and pressure on local budgets as public priorities shift. If the plan survives the cost and procurement hurdles, it could reshape commuting patterns and regional growth. Yet the ambition sits beside a practical challenge: delivering modern, higher capacity trams on a timetable that stretches into the mid-2030s and beyond.

Urban leaders face a delicate balance between pressing current mobility needs and investing in an expansive network that may take a generation to materialize. Success hinges on clear business cases, steady funding, and meaningful community engagement to align expectations with reality.

Highlights

The coming decade will test how the region balances ambition with deliverability.