Police patrolling Metrolink found a fare dodger armed with a knife, knuckle duster and drugs.
The newly-formed Transport Unit reported the discovery on the Greater Manchester Police City Centre Twitter account this weekend.
The exact location of the incident was not disclosed.
Plain clothes officers stopped a man without a ticket and decided to search him.
Pictures posted on Twitter show the array of weapons that were recovered including a metal knuckle duster, flick knife and bags of what appears to be cannabs.
Police said the man was detained.
It was the latest success for the Transport Unit which will see 50 officers patrolling the transport network in a bid to combat crime and anti-social behaviour.
Last month Greater Manchester Police shared an image of a man being led away from a tram by one of the new officers - and were widely praised on social media.
The new unit will also cover the region's roads, providing a 'pro-active policing presence', with the power to arrest people, police said.
And for the first time, the unit will provide a response function to deal with ongoing crimes and incidents on public transport.
The team will provide a proactive policing presence across the region’s transport network and work to support the wider TravelSafe Partnership (TSP) - which includes Transport for Greater Manchester and public transport operators.
Superintendent Julie Ellison said: "The Transport Unit are committed to supporting our local neighbourhood teams and our partners. The new team is made up entirely of Police Officers and this provides us with more powers to address those issues on the whole transport network that cause road and public network users concern."
A number of arrests and operations have featured already.
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