Greater Manchester Metrolink sees record-breaking weekend

Over the weekend of 11th and 12th June, a record number of customers used Greater Manchester’s Metrolink when 211,900 journeys were made on the network.

The Metrolink pay-as-you-go contactless system hit a major new milestone when around 82,000 of those journeys were made using the contactless payment system.

An estimated 585,000 trips were also made using the region’s buses, 293,000 by train, and over 892,000 journeys on the roads. Over ten million contactless journeys have now been made on Metrolink since the contactless system was launched in July 2019.

The record number was reached on Saturday, 11th June in a week that saw a series of high-profile events across Greater Manchester. An estimated 400,000 music-lovers hit the region to see some of the world’s biggest musical acts, including four consecutive nights of Ed Sheeran at the Etihad Stadium and Parklife taking place at Heaton Park.

During the week Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) worked closely with the police, transport operators and other partner agencies over the week to ensure plenty of staff were present across the network. Where possible services were boosted to help people keep moving, and a 24/7 control room was in operation to continuously monitor the network and ensure the safety of passengers.

The tram network’s touch-in/touch-out system allows customers to travel without the need to buy a paper ticket. In September 2021, the system was enhanced so that customers will never pay more than a seven-day travel pass depending on the zones they are travelling through.

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Danny Vaughan, Head of Metrolink for Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), said:

“Since its launch, contactless travel has continued to grow in popularity. Approximately 150,000 contactless journeys are made every week – and growing – and, as shown over the last week, it really is the quickest and easiest way to get to the many great events and attractions the city-region has to offer.

“Contactless works out the best fare for you and guarantees the best value, just remember to touch in and touch out at the start and end of each journey, using the same card or device, and you’ll never pay more than the daily or weekly cap.

“By making tram travel easier, more flexible, and providing value for money for our residents and visitors, contactless travel has been a real game-changer for Metrolink customers.”