Greater Manchester Metrolink lines to be closed as engineering works planned- replacement bus service details

Two of Greater Manchester’s Metrolink lines are set to be at least partially closed this weekend. The Bury and Rochdale lines will be impacted as engineering work is carried out. 

On Saturday November 4 and Sunday November 5 there will be work on the two lines. During this time, no trams will run between Bury and Whitefield, and Freehold and Rochdale Town Centre.

Transport for Greater Manchester has announced the service patterns which will be in place for the weekend. These can be found below, showing where trams will operate between. All tram lines will have a full service from Monday November 6.  

With plenty going on this weekend, TfGM have warned people to plan their journeys to make sure they are not affected by the closure. Manchester City host Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium at 3pm on Saturday whilst Peter Kay is back at the AO Arena on Sunday evening.

Saturday November 4

• Whitefield - Piccadilly

• Altrincham - Piccadilly

• East Didsbury - Freehold

• Manchester Airport - Victoria

• Ashton - Eccles

• Trafford Centre - Deansgate-Castlefield

Between 9am and 6.30pm, the following additional services will operate every 12 minutes:

• Altrincham - Crumpsall

• East Didsbury - Freehold

• MediaCityUK - Etihad Campus

Sunday November 5

• Whitefield - Piccadilly

• Altrincham - Piccadilly

• East Didsbury - Freehold

• Manchester Airport - Victoria

• Ashton - Eccles

• Trafford Centre - Deansgate-Castlefield

Replacement bus services

TfGM has also announced several replacement bus services will be provided for the affected parts of the Metrolink network. Details of these can be found below, visit the TfGM website to find out more details including a map for the replacement services. 

Saturday 4 November- replacement bus services will be in operation on a 12-minute frequency between Bury - Whitefield, Bury - Crumpsall and Freehold - Rochdale Town Centre.

Sunday November 5- replacement bus services will be in operation on a 15-minute frequency between Bury - Whitefield and Freehold - Rochdale Town Centre.

Danny Vaughan, head of Metrolink, said: “We are very sorry for any inconvenience these essential works may cause people to people travelling this weekend. However, it’s important we maintain and improve the network so it continues to provide a reliable and safe service to all our customers.    “The work has been scheduled to minimise disruption during the week, when more use the network and we will be doing everything we can to keep the disruption to a minimum. We have a comprehensive replacement bus service, so people can still get to and from their intended destinations and I’d encourage passengers to monitor our website and social media channels for the latest information and advice.”