There are a few livery changes to report on Manchester Metrolink with an advert being removed while there have also been a few more applied to some trams – including one which if you weren’t aware it was on a different tram and that the last one had been removed you’d think it was the same!
We start off with an advert removed as 3030 is now running in fleet livery again following the removal of the vinyls for Jordan (and trying to get you to visit the country). This advert had been originally added to the tram back in October 2022 and was the third that this tram had carried.
Now onto the new adverts, with three recently seen on some of the earlier batches of M5000s (its still the case than none of the most recent batch, 3121 onwards, have received an advert but with their livery in a far better state than many of the others that is understandable).
First out was 3038 which is carrying ads for #GetOnBoard – a TfGM initiative to get more people using public transport. This campaign had previously been publicised on 3059, 3061 and 3081 last year but this is a new design. Whether this is a full advert is open for debate as it uses the standard Metrolink fleet livery with some additional vinyls on parts of the tram. This is 3038’s first advert.
Then along came 3031 – also its first advert – which is carrying adverts for the Great Manchester Run which takes place on Sunday 21st May. Using a blue and red background this was first seen in action at the start of the last week of March.
Finally, 3080 is now advertising USDAW. Similar to the advert that the union had on 3064 until December 2022 it too was first seen at the beginning of the final week of March. And as with both 3031 and 3038 this is 3080’s very first advert.
The advertising liveries on 3066 (Hits Radio), 3075 (The Trafford Centre) and 3117 (Lifebuoy Soap) all remain in place.
The new advert for the Great Manchester Run which is now to be found on 3031. This is St Peter’s Square. (Photograph by Reece Hughes, 27th March 2023)
3030 has not only lost its advert but also some of its spots! Running as a double unit with 3076 we see the tram approaching St Werburgh’s Road on the way to East Didsbury. (Photograph by Gareth Prior, 27th March 2023)