Transport for Greater Manchester is celebrating after it was reported that during the year 2024/25, the Trafford Park line on Metrolink, which is operated by KeolisAmey Metrolink Ltd, was responsible for nearly 700,000 fewer journeys by car or taxi.

When questioned about how they would have travelled before the tram line opened, one-third of passengers said they would have travelled by car or taken a taxi.

Since the line opened, there has been a doubling in the number of planning applications for Trafford Park, and the average value of proposed schemes has increased by 76% to £47.9m.

Since opening in 2020, the line has encouraged thousands to switch from cars and taxis to public transport, with almost 700,000 car journeys taken off the roads from April 2024 to March 2025 alone.

A third of passengers said they would have used a car or taxi if the tram wasn’t available, and 90% agreed it offers an attractive alternative to driving.

Planning applications for residential developments have also increased, particularly around the Wharfside Metrolink stop and MediaCityUK, which, although not being on the Trafford Park Line, footbridges at the Salford Quays and MediaCity provide easy access from the line to those areas.

The line was designed to separate trams from road traffic, resulting in journeys, especially during peak times, being considerably faster.

In the evenings, it is still quicker to travel by tram than by bus, such as a 10-minute shorter journey time to the Trafford Centre and Manchester city centre.

As well as improving travel links and driving regeneration, the area has seen an increase in new businesses opening/ Between 2019 and 2022, despite a poor economic climate, there was an increase 9% in new companies, and between 2020 and 2023, the price of residential properties increased by 31.7%.

The line has also benefitted businesses, with 80% reporting better access for their staff, 71% reporting they have a wider labour pool, and 55% reporting they have retained more staff.

These successes are acting as a driver to expand Metrolink further, even though it is already the country’s largest light rail network. Proposals are being developed to build a new line to Stockport and a tram-train route between Oldham, Rochdale, Heywood, and Bury.

To make Trafford Palazzo more identifiable, in October, the Metrolink stop at Barton Dock Road was officially renamed Trafford Palazzo, and two trams were rebranded with a Trafford Palazzo livery .

“The Trafford Park line launched in very difficult circumstances at the start of COVID but is now an integral part of the UK’s largest tram network, supporting growth and regeneration and connecting growing numbers of people to jobs and some of the best visitor attractions in Greater Manchester.”

“The benefits of this line are clear, and we are working hard to bring these kinds of opportunities to other parts of the city-region. Backed by £2.5bn funding from government to deliver transport projects through to the early 2030s, we have exciting plans to further transform the Bee Network and unlock even more growth, prosperity and opportunity across the city-region.”

Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester