Coronation Street fans have been told to ‘keep your eyes out’ amid a ‘cool’ move by the ITV soap in its home city of Manchester.

While there is a CGI tram in the programme’s titles and a tram stop on the show’s set, after the tram crash in 2010’s 50th anniversary episode, (Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) had almost 300 queries asking if the trams were still running in Manchester, such is the zeitgeist of the world’s longest running soap.

In the real world, to head towards the Corrie site for a visit, the nearest stop is the IWM North, a short wander away from the Coronation Street Experience. But from Wednesday (June 19), fans of the show were given the opportunity to arrive in true ‘Corrie style’ with the launch of the Coronation Street Experience tram, a unique homage to the show which will meander across the Metrolink network for the next 12 months.

Created with visuals from Manchester-based agency Meanwhile, the rolling stock is dressed with a mock-up of illustrations from the cobbles giving passengers the chance to head to Rochdale through the legendary Rovers doors, arrive at Kingsway through the Kabin door, make their way to the Velopark via Vera and Jack’s infamous clad No. 9 door or rock up at Radcliffe through the entrance to Roys Rolls.

The tram was launched with stars Julia Goulding (Shona Platt), Peter Gunn (Brian Packham) and Elle Mulvaney (Amy Barlow). And while Tony Maudsley, who plays Weatherfield’s George Shuttleworth, wasn’t part of the official launch, he did catch a glimpse while out and about near the Trafford Wharf site.

Sharing a snap on Instagram, the soap star said: “This is so cool!! Keep your eye out for the new ‘Corrie Experience Tram’ when you’re out and about in Manchester from this week onwards!” And his fans and followers were impressed.

Jurian Van de Meer, EVP Brand Licensing, ITV, said “We are beyond excited to launch the Coronation Street Tram as we celebrate a year of the Coronation Street Experience. We can’t wait to see the reaction from fans in Manchester as this iconic tram rolls through the city, bringing the magic of the Coronation Street Experience to life.”

John Whiston, MD Continuing Drama for ITV Studios said “We’ve got our very own Weatherfield tram stop where our characters catch a handy tram ‘into town’. And we’ve even very occasionally got a virtual tram going past over our bridge. However we’ve never actually ventured onto Manchester’s Metrolink other than fictionally, so it’s exciting that an actual tram will sport some fine Coronation Street livery.

“All in the aid of telling people how easy it is to journey to the Coronation Street Experience on a ‘real tram’ so they can walk down those legendary cobbles. Bring flat shoes!”

Pete Sommers, TfGM’s Interim Metrolink Network Director, said: “Since opening in 1992 Metrolink has seen several expansions and new stops built, so we were delighted to welcome some of Coronation Street’s residents onto the newly crowned Weatherfield North stop on the Trafford Park Line.

“Metrolink, like Corrie, is an iconic symbol of Greater Manchester that has gone from strength to strength over the years, so we are delighted to be supporting ITV Studios and the Coronation Street Experience which is just a stone’s throw away from the Imperial War Museum stop. Passengers will also have the chance to board the Corrie-themed tram out on the network over the coming months, so I’d urge people to keep an eye out.”