Thanks to a funding boost of £2.5 billion, Greater Manchester is set to be the UK’s first fully integrated, zero-emission public transport system by 2030.
On Wednesday, 4th June, government ministers were in Rochdale and announced the Transport for the City Regions plans, which resulted in Greater Manchester gaining the funding.
The Bee Network will be upgraded to include an all-electric public transport network, including a thousand new EV buses, new e-bikes to hire and renewable energy-powered trams.
Local railways will be integrated into the Bee Network, and Manchester will be the first outside of London to be served by a fully joined-up network by the end of the decade. This will also include increased accessibility and capped fares.
They will be delivering projects including tram lines and additional stops to improve people’s access to jobs and homes, and will help support a greener lifestyle.
They have already made progress ahead of the funding boost, with 80 zero-emission buses and working to connect communities, which will only improve with this funding.
“This is a game-changing moment that will underpin Greater Manchester’s green growth for years to come. Building on our strong track record, we can now move at pace to deliver the next phase of the Bee Network – creating the UK’s first fully electric, zero emission integrated public transport system by 2030.
“With a pipeline of major transport projects better connecting our towns and cities, and local rail lines brought into the Bee Network, our communities will be the first outside London to be served by fully joined-up bike, bus, tram and train travel.
“Greater Manchester has had a decade of growth faster than the UK average. This funding – together with our devolved decision-making powers – can be the key to unlocking even more growth in the decade to come.
“It’s a major boost for our own plans to deliver £10bn of investment over the next 10 years, build thousands of new homes, create skilled jobs, and open up new opportunities right across our city-region.”
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
Responses
This seems to be contradictory, if the BR local services are to be zero emission, then Manchester to New Mills Central/ Rose Hill Marple, Stockport to Stalybridge via Guide Bridge, and others will need to be electrified, or have battery trains or closed. We need more infrastructure work to be zero emission free.
I have just been reading up on the changes that Andy Burnham is bring in with extensions to the Trains, Trams and Train Trams (I know that the Trams are not really Trams but actually Light Rail Vehicles, and are fully compatible with the standard BR loading Gauge). Apparently the Metrolink system is to connect Oldham, Rochdale, Heywood and Bury together with a new Train Tram service which could have problems for the East Lancashire Railway, as there line from Bury to Heywood would be a prime candidate route wise from Haywood to Bury as the line at Bury is only 100 metres from the Bury Metrolink station. I am not sure of the Route from Castleton to Rochdale but there does appear to be space to squeeze in two more tracks, given that the Metrolink already runs on old train lines to Rochdale then this would be a cheapish route to use, and doubling the ELR’s existing tracks is very easy as all the civil engineering has already been done, and a link into the Metrolink Line at Bury is not complicated.