One step closer to night trams in Manchester after council passes motion

The motion aims to implement a night tram service for hospitality workers, people on nights out and women who could be vulnerable walking home alone.

The call to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) follows cross-party talks among councillors on the Labour-dominated city council which have resulted in a request for late services on the Eccles via Media City to Ashton-under-Lyne route.

If TfGM agrees to the trial, the Eccles service will continue until 02:00 Thursday – Saturday.

The current service varies but usually doesn’t run after 00:30.

Cllr Alex Warren has been leading the campaign for late night trams.

Speaking to I LOVE MCR, he said: “The whole council now supports the Liberal Democrat campaign for late-night trams.

“I will keep pushing because it’s quite clear that the people of Manchester and Salford want this. I will be relentless in that. It applies to all the other Manchester Boroughs as well.

“We’ll be writing a letter from Salford Council to Andy Burnham to say, ‘can we have your support on this’. We also need to speak to TfGM to ask them to commit to the trial.

“We were able to draw people together on a consensus platform to provide something for workers. That doesn’t happen that often. I think it’s a testament to our kind of politics

“All political parties in Salford have come together in recent weeks, with serious discussion and in unity. We have endeavoured to provide an example of what can happen when we cooperate with each other in government.

“This is a council that works for its citizens, that is not mired in ideology or national party gripes. But, it is pragmatic, diplomatic and to the point.”

The Mayor, Andy Burnham spoke to Cllr Warren in support of his campaign during a recent Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) meeting where he described the lack of late night trains as ‘a barrier to the night-time economy’.

The cost of an Uber, Bolt or Black Cab from the City Centre to Media City is often more than £20-£25 after 01:00 on the weekends and more to Eccles.

This or a 1-2 hour walk home in the dark is often a daunting decision for hospitality workers in a cost-of-living crisis.
Cllr Warren campaigned to introduce #LateNightTrams and was successfully elected to the council in March 2022, beating the labour incumbent Phil Tresadurn.

He was one of three new councillors elected earlier this year, doubling Labour’s opposition in the Council.

However, the campaign began a year earlier following Ella Watson’s successful movement to reinstate late-night tubes in London after Sarah Everard was tragically murdered by MET police officer Wayne Couzens.

A large following grew in support of women having adequate public transport available to keep them safe at night, an objective Cllr Warren wanted to replicate in Salford.

However, it was originally blocked in its first debate on Wednesday 19th of October.

Fortunately, the motion successfully passed last week and progress can now be made implementing it into the city transport system.