As is often the case, its been a slow start to the year for new advertising liveries on Manchester Metrolink with more contracts coming to an end than being signed. The latest contract to come to an end is that on 3081 for the Arndale Centre with the tram now running back in standard livery once more.
3081 had been advertising the Arndale Centre (in one of those “busy” adverts where it was also hard to tell initially what it was advertising!) since June 2025 but by mid-January those vinyls had been ripped off the tram to leave the yellow and silver (including spots!) colours of Manchester Metrolink.
3081 is one of the trams which has carried the most adverts in its time with ten different ads over the years. This all started in May 2019 with an advert for IKEA and that has been followed by designs for Starling Bank, GetOnBoard, Hard Rock Café, Delicia Drench Body Butter, Autotrader, Juneyao Airlines, David Hockney exhibition at Aviva Studios, JD Sports and then finally the Arndale Centre.
3081 was working on the Manchester Airport route when seen at damp and dreary Deansgate-Castlefield showing off how its back in fleet livery. (Photograph by Reece Hughes, 19th January 2026)