Items left on Metrolink trams are held by the Metrolink operator. Items left on trains are kept by the operator that ran your service — Northern, TransPennine Express or Avanti West Coast — so contact them and quote your route, date and time. Manchester Piccadilly and Victoria are the main interchanges to check.
Lost property in Manchester
Lost something in Manchester? Here’s how to get it back.
A quick guide to where lost property goes in Manchester — on the trams, trains and buses, and around the city — plus a calmer way to report a lost or found item and arrange a safe return.
Where lost property goes in Manchester
In most cases, lost property is held by whoever runs the place or service where you lost it — so it’s worth knowing who to contact first:
On buses, lost property is held at the operator's depot for the route you were on. For a licensed taxi or private hire, contact the operator or the firm you booked with — keep the receipt or booking reference if you have it.
For a shop, bar, gym, university or venue, ask their reception or duty manager. Valuables and documents found in a public place can be reported to Greater Manchester Police; hand-ins are usually kept for a set period before being returned or disposed of.
Report it on Pinglo — and let the city help
Official lost property offices only work if someone hands your item in. Pinglo adds a second route: a live, local feed where anyone who spots your item can tell you straight away — and a safer way to hand things back.
1
Post your lost item with a clear description, rough area and time — keeping proof details private so the public post never gives everything away.
2
Get a ping the moment someone nearby spots it or posts a matching found item.
3
Start a private chat and use claim checks, so both sides can be sure it’s the right match before sharing anything.
4
Arrange a safe return with public-meetup guidance, and confirm the handover in the app.
Where things go missing in Manchester
Manchester is a city of interchanges and late nights — so phones, keys, wallets, bags, laptops, headphones, documents and jewellery tend to go astray on the tram network and at Piccadilly and Victoria, around the Northern Quarter and Deansgate, on campus at the University of Manchester and MMU, at the Arndale and the arenas, and on the way home from a match or a gig. Pinglo works for any of them, anywhere in Greater Manchester.
Questions people ask
How do I report something lost on a Manchester tram or train?
Lost property is held by whoever runs the service. Items left on Metrolink trams are kept by the Metrolink operator, and items left on trains are held by the operator that ran your service (such as Northern, TransPennine Express or Avanti West Coast), so contact them directly and quote your route, date and time. Alongside that, post the item on Pinglo so anyone who spots it nearby can let you know instantly.
Is Pinglo free to use in Manchester?
Yes. Pinglo is free to download on iPhone and free to use in any browser at pingloapp.com/app. You can report a lost item, post a found item, and arrange a safe return at no cost.
I found something in Manchester — what should I do?
Hand valuables and documents to the venue, transport operator or police where possible. You can also post the item on Pinglo as a found report so the owner can find it, start a claim, and prove it is theirs before you arrange a safe handover in a public place.
Can a Manchester venue, campus or workplace run its own lost and found?
Yes. Universities, venues, stations and workplaces can run a private Pinglo community with their own safety feed, hand-in points and member chat. See Partners.