COVID-19 Light Rail Revenue Restart Grant (LRRRG)

Greater Manchester Combined Authority have been allocated funding of up to £61.55 million as a contribution towards Metrolink’s forecast losses for the period of 17 March 2020 to 18 January 2021.

For the 32-week period from 17 March 2020 to 26 October 2020, the allocated funding has been used to subsidise the costs of operating the Metrolink network.

Due to patronage levels falling to circa 5% of pre-COVID19 levels during the lockdown period, four interim service patterns have been in operation since 23 March 2020:

23 March 2020 to 5 April 2020: a daily 12 minute service across all lines between 06:00 (07:00 on Sundays) and 23:00, supplemented with additional doubles where possible to assist social distancing;
6 April 2020 to 25 May 2020: a daily 20 minute service across all lines between 06:00 (07:00 on Sundays) and 22:00, supplemented with additional doubles where possible to assist social distancing;
26 May 2020 to 21 June 2020: a daily 12 minute service (20 minute service on Sundays) across all lines between 06:00 (07:00 on Sundays) and 22:00, supplemented with additional doubles where possible to assist social distancing; and
22 June 2020 to date: a daily service operating between 06:00 and 23:00 (07:00 on Sundays) supplemented with additional doubles where possible to assist social distancing, with a 10 minute service operating across all lines between the following times:
- Monday to Friday – 06:00 to 19:00
- Saturday – 08:00 to 18:00 (08:00 to 20:00 effective from 8 August 2020)

A 20 minute service is operating across all lines at all other times.

These interim service patterns compare against the following Pre-COVID19 service patterns:

Altrincham

First tram - 06:00 (07:00 Sunday)
Last tram - 00:00 (01:00 Friday and Saturday)
Frequency - 6 minutes between 07:00 to 20:00 Mon-Fri and 09:00 – 18:30 Saturdays, 12 minutes at all other times

Bury

Eccles

Ashton

East Didsbury

Rochdale

First tram - 06:00 (07:00 Sunday)
Last tram - 00:00 (01:00 Friday and Saturday)
Frequency - 6 minutes (between Shaw and Crompton and City Centre only) between 07:00 to 20:00 Mon-Fri and 09:00 – 18:30 Saturdays, 12 minutes at all other times

Manchester Airport

First tram - 03:00
Last tram - 00:00 (01:00 Friday and Saturday)
Frequency - 20 minutes between 03:00 and 06:00 (07:00 Sunday), 12 minutes at all other times