Posted 9th March 2010 | 15 Comments

Manchester Metrolink to grow again

TWO further extensions to Manchester Metrolink have been authorised by the DfT, and talks are underway on the construction of another new line which would bring trams to Manchester Airport.

Transport Minister Sadiq Khan has announced the approval of plans to extend Metrolink from Droylsden to Ashton-under-Lyne in Tameside and from Chorlton to East Didsbury in South Manchester. Work on four other extensions is already under way. These will serve MediaCityUK at Salford Quays, Chorlton, Droylsden and the former heavy rail line through Oldham Mumps to Rochdale station.

New trams

A further eight trams will be ordered, six of which will be funded by the DfT, and these are in addition to forty new tramcars which are already being added to the fleet.

Funding has also been provided for two new Park and Ride sites at Ashton Moss and Ashton West which will be able to accommodate more 600 cars between them.

Airport line

But there could be still more developments to come. Work is also about to start on the detailed planning of a proposed extension from the East Didsbury line which would branch off at St Werburgh’s Road and run to the airport via Wythenshawe, following the approval of an initial budget of £26 million by the Capital Projects committee of Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority.

Councillor Richard Knowles, who chairs the committee, said: “We are delighted to see that such a strong start is to be made this year on the Metrolink line to Manchester Airport.
This is a very important stage which involves developing the designs in further detail. We will be doing detailed work on the scope and programme for diverting utilities such as electrical cables and pipes. Extensive topographic, geotechnical and environmental surveys will also take place.”

Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

  • Terence Carr, Stockport, UK

    Ancestrally Stockport belongs to Cheshire as Manchester does to Lancashire but that has little practical meaning today. It's part of Greater Manchester, like Oldham or Sale. Like them however, it's not Manchester, and though most of us Stopfordians are very happy and proud indeed to be associated with that great city, we value our own distinct identity too. That's not the point though. Perhaps Stockport's exclusion from Manchester's Metrolink, now seemingly to be permanent, will serve only to re-enforce that distinction.We can't complain. With trains to Manchester every five minutes of the day, I think we win all round.

  • Dr Neil Clifton, Barnoldswick

    Metrolink is an excellent system. Now we need light rail in Leeds as well, preferably with tram-trains reaching out to Bingley and Ilkley over existing railway lines, with new lines to Yeadon Airport and Otley.

  • Keith R, Stockport

    Stockport residents contributed to the cost of the tram for the other "Manchester" regions and was promised that the tram would come to Stockport - yet 15+ years later, still nothing!
    Regarding Stockport and the link to Greater Manchester commented on above - the people of Stockport were not consulted by the Thatcher Government about changing our boundry. You will find that most envelopes still state "Stockport, Cheshire"

  • Bilal Bham, Preston, England

    Why on earth cant we have an underground system in Manchester? As an ex-student used to taking an age and a day on a bus from Fallowfield to Manchester University, one single line running from Didsbury all the way to the city centre running directly under Wilmslow Road/Oxford Road would significantly increase speed of transfer, reduce the number buses and hence congestion and lower pollution! If the rest of Europe and even Liverpool can invest the money AND make it back, why cant we? That way, with an eventual network of underground lines, can the government be vindicated in its attempt to charge cars travelling into the city ala London!

  • Markus, Buxton, England

    Finally some investment outside London. We need more investment in the Railway Industry and projects to be released to secure jobs and keep people employed. After all it is a greener way to travel.
    Markus (CEM/CRE), Derbyshire.

  • p watkin, Bristol, uk

    Great to see that rail services continue to expand in one of UK's go-ahead cities. C'mon Bristol, where are you ?!

  • P Jenkins, Neath, Wales

    Good news, nice to hear some UK investment for a change.

  • Chris P, Manchester

    For the record Stockport is NOT part of Cheshire and hasn't been since 1974 when it became a metroploitan borough of Greater Manchester,

  • Martyn G, Manchester

    Oh but dont forget pound per mile by tram is significantly higher than by heavy rail...it's about time the PTE focused on all transport modes not just bus and tram (which they own) then maybe we could have better trains

  • Mark Ovenden, Paris (formerly Manchester resident), France

    This is a project that has a history dating back to the sixties, if not beyond.

    Manchester missed out on a heavy rail underground connection between its two major terminals in the 1970s (when Liverpool built the excellent loop line & Newcastle got the go-ahead for Metro). What replaced 'Picc-Vic' was Metrolink and after a number of promises, false starts and changes of mind by various Treasury influences the extensions (thanks to tireless work by the PTE and others) are finally coming to fruition.

    There are actually more extensions (The 'Second City Crossing', Town centre links into Oldham and Rochdale, Stockport as mentioned by Simon above, and the Trafford Centre) which have all been examined, prepared, lobbied for and costed... but those it seems are going to have to wait until the outcome of the next election, when the true colours of the next lot/or Britain's first coalition for many years... will be interesting if not potentially a little frustrating to observe!
    Having said that, it is clear that the undeniable success of Metrolink is a huge beacon for those campaigning for better urban rail provision for the big conurbations outside the capital, so bravo, cheers to all involved, kudos where its due....and lets hope things continue to improve!!

  • H Harvey, Birmingham

    Light Rail is great especially when it takes up road space.
    Using heavy rail formations is just DfT wants as this will make heavy rail resurrection difficult.

  • A Browne, Colwyn Bay

    Stockport, Cheshire? Ahh there we are, not part of Greater Manchester then. Best go and see Chester and see how you get on there..... :-)

  • les Burge, leicester, england

    Lucky Manchester...........
    It's also nice to see money being spent outside LONDON.

  • Mr P Gunshon, Hyde, Cheshire

    Well Its about time the extensions are coming into being, we had all this money promised to manchester years ago only to be snatch off us at the last minute and then blackmailed by certain officials saying yes you can have the funding if you have a Congestion Charge round Manchester. if we have a good transport system more people will use it which in turn takes cars off the roads. Hooray

  • Simon H, Stockport, Cheshire

    Surely it would make sense to extend the East Didsbury line to Stockport?