Bury–Ashton Tram Link Starts Under New Timetable 2026

Key Points

• New tram line between Bury and Ashton is launched on Monday, 14th September 2026.
• The existing all-day service from Bury extends now past Manchester Piccadilly to Ashton-under-Lyne.
• This new route provides direct access to passengers from Bury to Etihad Campus, Etihad Stadium, Droylsden, and Ashton-under-Lyne.
• There is no change to the stops in between Bury and Piccadilly.
• The trams are running every 15 minutes with added frequency during peak time on the main corridors.
• Now, passengers who are travelling from Ashton-under-Lyne to Eccles have to get down at Piccadilly or Piccadilly Gardens.
• There is a new peak-hour service from MediaCityUK to Piccadilly.
• According to TfGM, this timetable has been implemented for ensuring reliability despite recruitment and network upgrades.
• This new service will stay in place for an indefinite period of time.

Bury (Manchester Mirror) September 15, 2026 – The new Bury–Ashton tram link is now operating as part of a revised Metrolink timetable designed to improve reliability across Greater Manchester’s tram network.

Under the changes introduced on Monday 14 September, all-day services from Bury no longer terminate at Manchester Piccadilly. Instead, they continue through central Manchester towards Ashton-under-Lyne in Tameside.

The revised route provides a direct connection from Bury to several east Manchester destinations, including New Islington, Etihad Campus, Velopark, Droylsden and Ashton-under-Lyne. Passengers travelling to those locations no longer need to leave the tram and change at Piccadilly.

According to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), services continue to operate every 15 minutes across the network. Additional peak-time trams provide a service every 7.5 minutes on selected corridors. TfGM says the timetable will remain in place until further notice, while work continues to restore more frequent 12-minute and six-minute services in the future.tfgm+1

How has the Bury tram route changed?

Before the timetable change, the main all-day Bury service ran from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly. From Monday 14 September, that service continues beyond Piccadilly and terminates at Ashton-under-Lyne.

The stops between Bury and Piccadilly have not changed. The route continues to serve Radcliffe, Whitefield, Besses o’ th’ Barn, Prestwich, Heaton Park, Bowker Vale, Crumpsall, Abraham Moss, Queens Road, Victoria, Shudehill, Market Street, Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly.

After Piccadilly, trams now continue through New Islington, Holt Town, Etihad Campus, Velopark, Clayton Hall, Edge Lane, Cemetery Road, Droylsden, Audenshaw, Ashton Moss and Ashton West before reaching Ashton-under-Lyne.

The Bury Post reported that the main practical change for passengers is the extension beyond Piccadilly. The publication said the new route means passengers travelling towards the Etihad Stadium area, east Manchester and Ashton-under-Lyne can remain on the same tram rather than changing in the city centre.

For people whose journeys end at Victoria, Piccadilly Gardens or Piccadilly, the change is more limited. Their usual stops remain available, and the service continues to call at the same locations before travelling onwards.

Which Metrolink services are affected?

The timetable change affects the Bury and Eccles lines, along with services operating around MediaCityUK and Salford Quays.

The main changes are:

• The all-day Bury service now runs between Bury and Ashton-under-Lyne.
• The service that previously ran between Ashton-under-Lyne and Eccles now operates between Piccadilly and Eccles via MediaCityUK.
• Passengers travelling between Ashton-under-Lyne and Eccles must change at Piccadilly or Piccadilly Gardens.
• A separate MediaCityUK–Piccadilly peak-time service has been reintroduced.
• Salford Quays receives two services during peak periods, creating a tram approximately every 7.5 minutes on that section.

The Manchester Evening News reported that the Eccles line previously linked Ashton-under-Lyne and Eccles outside peak times via MediaCityUK. Under the revised arrangement, the Eccles service begins at Piccadilly and continues to Eccles via MediaCityUK, rather than continuing east to Ashton-under-Lyne.

TfGM’s service information confirms that passengers travelling between Ashton and Eccles can change at Piccadilly. It also says that the MediaCityUK–Piccadilly service operates during selected parts of the day to meet higher demand.

How often will trams run from Bury?

The revised timetable retains a standard frequency of one tram every 15 minutes across the network.

TfGM says extra peak-time trams will operate on key corridors, meaning some parts of the network will receive a service every 7.5 minutes during busier periods. The additional service is particularly relevant around central Manchester, Salford Quays and other sections where passenger demand is higher.

The Bury Post reported that the frequency of the Bury service itself remains every 15 minutes. The publication also noted that the route extension does not alter the frequency or the stops used by passengers travelling between Bury and central Manchester.

TfGM’s general operating hours are:

• Monday to Thursday: 6am to midnight.
• Friday and Saturday: 6am to 1am the following day.
• Sunday: 7am to midnight.

TfGM describes these as general operating hours and advises passengers to check exact first and last tram times before travelling. Service hours and frequencies can be extended or increased for major events.tfgm

What does the change mean for Etihad Stadium journeys?

The most significant benefit for Bury passengers is the new direct link to Etihad Campus.

Passengers travelling from Bury to the Etihad Stadium area can now remain on the tram after it passes through Piccadilly. This removes the need to change for the east Manchester section of the network.

The direct route may be particularly relevant on football matchdays and during events at the Etihad Campus. TfGM says it will continue to provide additional capacity for football matches and other major events where required.

The route also provides direct access to Velopark, Droylsden and Ashton-under-Lyne. That may assist commuters, students, shoppers and visitors travelling between Bury and destinations along the east Manchester corridor.

However, TfGM has not announced a change to fares or zones as part of the timetable revision. The principal change is the service pattern rather than the ticketing structure.

Will passengers need to change trams?

Passengers travelling from Bury to Ashton-under-Lyne, Etihad Campus or destinations along the east Manchester route should not need to change at Piccadilly.

Passengers travelling from Bury to central Manchester can continue to leave the tram at Victoria, Shudehill, Market Street, Piccadilly Gardens or Piccadilly, depending on their destination.

The main additional interchange affects people travelling between Ashton-under-Lyne and Eccles. Those passengers must now change at Piccadilly or Piccadilly Gardens because the two lines have been rearranged.

Passengers using the MediaCityUK service are also advised to check the destination display on the front of the tram. TfGM’s timetable information states that the display will indicate whether a tram is operating via MediaCityUK.

This is important because not every service in the Piccadilly–Eccles pattern operates in exactly the same way throughout the day. The destination display remains the most direct way for passengers to confirm the route before boarding.

What happens to the Altrincham–Bury service?

The separate Altrincham–Bury service remains a part-day operation.

TfGM states that it runs from 7am to 8pm on Mondays to Fridays and from 9am to 6.30pm on Saturdays. Outside those periods, passengers are directed to use the Altrincham–Etihad Campus and Bury–Ashton-under-Lyne services.

The revised timetable therefore changes the alternative service information for Bury passengers. Before 14 September, passengers outside the Altrincham–Bury operating hours were directed towards the Bury–Piccadilly service. Under the new timetable, the relevant all-day service is Bury–Ashton-under-Lyne.

The Altrincham–Bury service itself has not become an all-day route.

Why has TfGM introduced the revised timetable?

TfGM said the revised timetable was designed to improve reliability across the Metrolink network.

In a statement published through the Bee Network, TfGM said services would continue to operate every 15 minutes, with additional peak-time trams providing a 7.5-minute service on key corridors. The organisation also said that additional capacity would continue to be provided for football matches and other major events.

Ian Davies, TfGM’s network director for Metrolink, said the revised timetable built on changes introduced earlier in 2026. According to the Manchester Evening News, Davies said those changes had made trams on some routes quicker and more reliable.

Davies also said the timetable was intended to provide a better service while further work was carried out to upgrade the network and recruit new drivers. He identified the return of a peak-time service to the Salford Quays area as a significant element of the change.

TfGM has said work is continuing to return the network to a 12-minute standard frequency, with six-minute services on selected corridors. The current 15-minute pattern is therefore described as part of an ongoing operational arrangement rather than the final timetable.tfgm+1

Did the timetable change follow engineering works?

The new timetable was introduced immediately after a planned weekend closure affecting part of the Bury line.

The Bury Post reported that no trams operated between Crumpsall and Bury on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September because of track replacement works. Replacement buses served Bury, Radcliffe, Whitefield, Besses o’ th’ Barn, Prestwich, Heaton Park, Bowker Vale and Crumpsall.

The report also said the Prestwich park-and-ride facility was closed from the last tram on Friday 11 September until before the first tram on Monday 14 September.

The new Bury–Ashton service began when the tram line returned to operation on Monday. This meant that some passengers experienced both the reopening of the route and the revised destination pattern at the same time.

TfGM continues to advise passengers to check travel alerts and journey information before setting off, particularly when travelling during engineering work, major events or periods of disruption.

What should Bury passengers check before travelling?

Passengers should check the destination displayed on the front of the tram rather than relying only on the platform or the service they used previously.

People travelling towards Etihad Campus, Droylsden or Ashton-under-Lyne can stay on a Bury tram that is displaying Ashton-under-Lyne as its destination.

People travelling between Ashton-under-Lyne and Eccles should allow time to change at Piccadilly or Piccadilly Gardens.

Passengers using the Altrincham–Bury service should also check the time of day because that route remains limited to specific operating periods.

TfGM recommends using its first-and-last-tram information tool for exact departure times. General operating hours do not guarantee that a particular stop will receive a tram at the beginning or end of that period.

Background to the Metrolink timetable development

The revised timetable forms part of wider efforts by TfGM and the Bee Network to improve reliability and manage available tram capacity.

The network has been operating a 15-minute service pattern, while TfGM works on recruitment, driver training and network upgrades. Additional peak-time trams are being used on busier corridors, and event capacity can be added when demand is expected to rise.

The Bury–Ashton connection joins two established parts of the Metrolink network. It extends the existing Bury route through Manchester city centre and connects it with the eastern section serving Etihad Campus and Ashton-under-Lyne.

At the same time, the Eccles service has been reconfigured so that it starts at Piccadilly and continues through MediaCityUK. The arrangement creates a direct Bury–Ashton route but means that Ashton–Eccles passengers now need to interchange.

TfGM’s published service information lists Bury–Ashton-under-Lyne as an all-day route, alongside services including Altrincham–Etihad Campus, Piccadilly–Eccles via MediaCityUK, Rochdale Town Centre–East Didsbury, Manchester Airport–Victoria and The Trafford Centre–Crumpsall.tfgm

How could the Bury–Ashton tram link affect passengers?

The Bury–Ashton tram link is likely to make journeys from Bury to Etihad Campus, Velopark, Droylsden and Ashton-under-Lyne simpler because passengers can avoid changing at Piccadilly.

Passengers whose journeys end in central Manchester should experience little practical difference because the existing Bury stops and 15-minute frequency remain in place.

The main disadvantage will affect passengers travelling between Ashton-under-Lyne and Eccles, who must now change at Piccadilly or Piccadilly Gardens. The return of the peak-time MediaCityUK–Piccadilly service may provide additional capacity around Salford Quays, but passengers should still check the tram destination display before boarding.

The timetable is scheduled to remain in place until further notice. Its longer-term effect will depend on reliability, passenger demand and TfGM’s progress towards restoring the network’s planned 12-minute and six-minute frequencies.