Commuters in Greater Manchester who have been forced on to replacement buses during a major track overhaul have been offered up to 20 minutes of free travel on rental bikes.
The Altrincham, Eccles, and Trafford Centre Metrolink lines have been shut since 12 June for a £150m project to replace outdated track lines between Deansgate and Trafford Bar.
Lines to East Didsbury and Manchester Airport have also been affected, with passengers to the city centre facing major disruption until the scheme ends on 2 August.
Danny Vaughan, of Transport for Greater Manchester, said those affected could now make use of Starling Bikes every day for up to 20 minutes, and added “why not give active travel a go?”
He said “there’s never a good time to close parts of the network” and admitted the track project replacement had caused “a big impact”.
The pedal bikes are available to hire across the city, but have now been made available in Firswood, Chorlton and Salford Quays for 10 minutes free each way for an inbound and outbound journey, he said.
First introduced in 2021, they were re-branded as Starling Bank bikes in 2024.