3004, 3098 and 3120 at St Peter's Square3004 arrives at St Peter's Square with a Altrincham - Bury service (diverted via Exchange Square), 3098 arrives with a MediacityUK - Ashton service, while 3120 departs with an Ashton - MediacityUK service 10.4.19 The Manchester Metrolink is the largest light rail network in the UK. The tram network currently boasts 120 Bombadier M5000 trams operating on 18 routes, with a further route and another 27 trams under construction.

The services are currently as follows:

Construction is well underway on a new route running from Crumpsall on the Bury route to the Trafford Centre.   Crumpsall is having an additional platform added to the existing stop, while the new part of the route, which construction is well underway, leaves the current system at Pomona on the Eccles line and makes its way to the Trafford Centre with a combination of on street and off street running. The new route is expected to open next year with a standard 12 minute headway.

On my visit to Manchester from 8th - 11th April, I noted that the 8 routes ran with the following combinations of trams

• Altrincham - Bury: Double M5000's
• Altrincham - Piccadilly: Single M5000's Mon / Tues / Thurs and Doubles on Weds as Manchester United were playing Barcelona at Old Trafford.
• Bury - Piccadilly: Double M5000's Mon / Tues / Thurs and singles on Weds as doubles operated on Altrincham route instead
• Ashton - Eccles: single M5000's
• Ashton - MediacityUK: Single M5000's
• East Didsbury - Rochdale: mix of single M5000's and doubles
• East Didsbury - Shaw: mix of single M5000's and doubles
• Manchester Airport - Victoria: Single M5000's

The Altrincham and Bury routes appeared to use lower numbered trams with higher numbered trams mainly (but not always) appearing on the other routes.

Less all over advert liveries were noted this year compared to last, with Vodafone adverts being seen on trams 3017, 3047, 3093 and 3100 and 3075 advertising the Body Shop.

Photo spots

There are plenty of places to spot the trams, either running on street or off street:

• St Peter's Square: One of the busiest stops on the system with trams from 7 out of 8 routes stopping here.
• Manchester Central: 7 out of 8 routes pass here
• Princess Street / Cross Street: East Didsbury - Shaw / Rochdale head along here
• Mosley Street: Altrincham - Bury / Piccadilly, Manchester Airport - Victoria and Ashton - Eccles / MediaCityUK pass along here
• Piccadilly Gardens: triangular junction with trams passing with most routes diverging for Piccadilly every couple of minutes
• Victoria: recently modernised stop with 4 platforms on a 3 track layout. Airport services turn back here.
• Deansgate - Castlefield: car park area good for photoing the trams on the sleeper track and coming off former railway bridge
• Salford Quays: good for photoing trams heading along quayside.
• Mediacityuk: 2 platform terminus, triangular junction with Eccles branch.