Tram Guide

Manchester’s tram network is one of the most extensive light‐transit networks in the world.

Big warning!

(Unlike the London Underground) The tram network does not cover all of Manchester. However, it reaches a long way—it runs to many satellite towns.

Maps

Our map of ground location see the map large,

Or use the Official Bee Network map

Times

Incidents aside, you’ll never wait more than 20 mins for a tram. Often, less than 5 mins. Official route frequency is 12 mins.

Daily times (roughly),

Mon–Sat

6am to 12pm

Sun and public holidays

7am to 12pm

Payment

You must pay before you get on a tram,

”Contactless”: scan your bank card at start and end of trip

See the TFGM explanation. Very easy and convenient. If you buy many tickets, fares are capped. Can be unnerving—no visual or paper record

Buy a ticket from the platform machines

Easier to understand than contactless, and can be used to buy day/week/monthly passes. You get receipts

Virtual ticket through the Bee Transport app

Need to register with the App and, if asked by inspectors, fiddle with your phone. But will tell you when the ticket expires and can buy tickets before travel

Smartcard (reusable card)

Smartcards can carry bus passes also (and are the best solution for bus passes). They are reusable and less awkward than a phone app. Smartcards can be used for trams, but see below

Smartcards use a system called Bee Card accounts. To put a new tram pass on a smartcard, you must go to a ticket office, or use a Bee Card account—the Bee app can not do this. You can order a Bee smartcard through a Bee Card account or by visiting a ticket office.

Route information

Google Maps, or any other app that displays open transport data, will show tram options. Or try Manchester’s unified Bee Transport app,

• TFGM Tram page

• Android Bee Transport App

• Apple Bee Transport App

• Wikipedia (for history)

How to find the right tram?

The attempt to color code tram routes (the London Underground uses colors and route names like ‘District line’, ‘Waterloo and City line’ etc.) is not much used. Did this not work because of the overlapped spider layout? Anyway, Manchester’s trams are labelled, and information boards display, the last stop on the route. You need to use a map to find the last stop on the route you want to use.

Good and bad

Good,

• Frequent service

• Routes show on apps

• Easier than a bus

• Cost more than a bus, but not excessive

• Connections to some satellite towns

• Powered by sustainable energy

Bad,

• Routes do not cover the city e.g. Stockport, Bolton

• At peak daytime hours, busy and must stand

• Customer satisfaction surveys return lower ratings than similar systems

Mostly, people think of the trams as a key feature of modern Manchester—people only wish there were more seats and more routes.