From Monday 14 September the all-day Bury tram runs past Piccadilly to Ashton-under-Lyne. Same stops into town, still every 15 minutes, extra trams at peak.

The front of your tram is about to say something different. From Monday 14 September the all-day Bury service runs through to Ashton-under-Lyne instead of finishing at Piccadilly, as part of a Metrolink timetable change across the whole network.

The stops between Bury and Piccadilly do not change. Neither does the frequency. What changes is that the tram keeps going afterwards, out through Etihad Campus and Droylsden to Ashton.

TfGM says the changes are “designed to improve reliability across the network”, and that trams will still run every 15 minutes, with additional trams at peak times.

What actually changes for Bury

The all-day Bury tram service before and after 14 September 2026 Two line diagrams. Until Sunday 13 September the all-day Bury service runs from Bury through Victoria to Piccadilly, where it ends. From Monday 14 September the same service runs from Bury through Victoria and Piccadilly, then on through Etihad Campus to Ashton-under-Lyne. The all-day Bury tram, before and after Every stop between Bury and Piccadilly stays the same. The service simply carries on past it. Until Sunday 13 September Bury Victoria Piccadilly service ends here From Monday 14 September Bury Victoria Piccadilly Etihad Campus Ashton-under-Lyne Only the ends of the line are drawn. The stops in between, Radcliffe through to Piccadilly Gardens, are unchanged. Source: TfGM tram schedule and network map, September 2026. Graphic by The Bury Post.

TfGM publishes a list of which services run all day. Bury’s entry on that list changes on Monday, and so does one other.

All-day service Until Sunday 13 September From Monday 14 September
The Bury line Bury to Piccadilly Bury to Ashton-under-Lyne
The Eccles line Ashton-under-Lyne to Eccles via MediaCityUK Piccadilly to Eccles via MediaCityUK
The others Altrincham to Etihad Campus, Rochdale Town Centre to East Didsbury, Manchester Airport to Victoria, The Trafford Centre to Crumpsall Unchanged

In other words, the Bury line and the Ashton line are being joined together, and the Eccles service is being paired with Piccadilly instead.

The route into town is exactly as it is now. TfGM’s new network map, which takes effect on Monday, shows the Bury service calling at Radcliffe, Whitefield, Besses o’ th’ Barn, Prestwich, Heaton Park, Bowker Vale, Crumpsall, Abraham Moss, Queens Road, Victoria, Shudehill, Market Street, Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly, then carrying on through New Islington, Holt Town, Etihad Campus, Velopark, Clayton Hall, Edge Lane, Cemetery Road, Droylsden, Audenshaw, Ashton Moss and Ashton West to Ashton-under-Lyne.

The second Bury service is untouched. Altrincham to Bury via Market Street still runs part of the day only, 7am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 6.30pm on Saturday. Outside those hours TfGM’s advice is now to use the Altrincham to Etihad Campus and Bury to Ashton-under-Lyne services, where before it named Bury to Piccadilly.

What does not change

  • Frequency. Every 15 minutes across the network, as now. Stops served by more than one line still get trams more often than that.
  • Operating hours. 6am to midnight Monday to Thursday, 6am to 1am on Friday and Saturday, 7am to midnight on Sunday.
  • Fares and zones. Nothing in TfGM’s schedule pages changes the zones a Bury journey crosses. Ours are set out on the Bury tram times page.
  • Match-day capacity. TfGM says it will keep providing extra trams for football matches and other major events.

TfGM also repeats on the same page that “work is ongoing to return to a 12/6-minute frequency in the future”. The 15-minute pattern has been in place since 30 March 2026.

The upside for Bury: a direct tram to the Etihad

The change gives Bury something it has not had: an all-day direct tram to Etihad Campus, Droylsden and Ashton-under-Lyne, with no change at Piccadilly.

That is the practical difference for most people. If you go to matches at the Etihad, or work anywhere along the east Manchester line, Monday removes a change from your journey. If you only ever go as far as Victoria or Piccadilly, nothing about your journey changes at all except the wording on the front of the tram.

Check the tram front, not the platform

One thing to watch. TfGM’s note about the new part-day MediaCityUK to Piccadilly service says the display on the front of the tram will state whether a tram is running via MediaCityUK. Reading the destination display rather than assuming from the platform is the safer habit for the first week of any timetable change.

It lands the day after a closed weekend

The timing is awkward. The Bury line is shut this weekend for track replacement, so the first trams running to the new pattern will be the first trams back.

  • Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September. No trams between Crumpsall and Bury. Replacement buses serve Bury, Radcliffe, Whitefield, Besses o’ th’ Barn, Prestwich, Heaton Park, Bowker Vale and Crumpsall.
  • Friday 11 to Monday 14 September. Prestwich park and ride is closed from the last tram on Friday until before the first tram on Monday.
  • Monday 14 September. The new timetable starts.

Details of both, plus the road closures running alongside them, are on our Bury roadworks and travel page.

What it means for you

  • You do not need to do anything on Monday. Your stop, your fare and your frequency are the same.
  • Read the destination display. A Bury-bound tram is a Bury-bound tram whatever it says at the other end, but the southbound ones now say Ashton-under-Lyne.
  • If you are heading to the Etihad or Ashton, stay on. No change at Piccadilly from Monday.
  • If you use the Altrincham tram from Bury, check the clock. It still only runs 7am to 8pm on weekdays and 9am to 6.30pm on Saturday.

Sources