Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, has unveiled a new long-term vision for improvement and growth in the region’s railway and tram services.
The plan, On the Right Track for Growth: A 2050 Vision for the Future of Rail in Greater Manchester, was unveiled yesterday, Wednesday, 3rd December, by the Mayor during a conference discussing Public Transport in the North of England.
The plan envisions several new stations, such as Golborne and Cheadle, which will expand the transport network’s catchment area by 30,000 people.
By 2040, 50% of the stations are expected to have step-free access.
Regeneration and Growth will account for 75,000 new homes near the railway network, and a major regeneration at Old Trafford.
Manchester Piccadilly will be transformed with a new underground station to be built by 2050, which will increase capacity, support 40,000 new jobs, and provide thousands of homes and nearly a million square feet of new commercial space.
There are currently 96 stations on the railway network across Greater Manchester, covering over 318 km and responsible for over 40 million passenger trips into the city’s main stations.
But there are significant challenges to the current system, including limited local influence and accountability, many stations are inaccessible, services are crowded and often unreliable.
During the year 2024/25, the Metrolink Trafford Park line was responsible for nearly 700,000 fewer journeys being made by car or taxi.
From next Sunday, 7th December, a simplified train fare structure for the region will be introduced. The current structure with more than a dozen different fares will be replaced by two simple options, anytime or off-peak, with single fares half the price of a return journey, and applicable for all train services run by all operators.
Transport for Greater Manchester is in the process of producing a strategic case for the extension of the Metrolink tram system to Stockport.
“Greater Manchester’s rail network plays a vital role in supporting our communities, powering our economy, and opening doors to opportunity – but for long has been held back from its true potential. The way projects and services are planned and delivered is changing, with long-needed reform giving us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape rail for Greater Manchester.”
“Simplifying rail fares is a key first step in making train travel easier and more accessible, and the key to bringing local rail services into the Bee Network from December 2026. Greater Manchester has a proud railway heritage, and our Vision, developed with the industry, is about ensuring that everyone in our city-region can benefit from better connections, more reliable services, and a transport network that meets the needs of future generations.”
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
Responses
We in Manchester have heard all these grand ideas before, and each time the plans get derailed by Whitehall accountants. I doubt if even a quarter of what is being announced will ever see completion. A few years ago there was a public consultation on the rebuilding of Oxford Road station, since then nothing more has been announced about the plan. Metrolink is constrained by the bottlenecks at Cornbrook and In the city centre, also the tram attracts a lot of undesirable people especially on the airport line, I prefer using the bus rather than the tram as it feels safer.
I have seen a lot of the blue sky thinking ideas for expanding the Metrolink system, with some being far to grand and expensive, to some that are brilliant. Examples of this was to lease during the week and redouble the East Lancashire Heritage Railway to Rawtenstall and then using street running and old sections of the Rossendale Valley Railway line loop around to Rochdale as a lot of road traffic comes out of this area into Manchester. Another idea that I heard about was to run the Metrolink light rail vehicles on battery power to Stockport and then come off on to street running in that area, having been under the Metrolink vehicles there is actually a lot of room under the floor as they were designed to run on heavy rail infrastructure there floors are much higher than trams elsewhere.
While a lot of this is commendable, it does not solve issues in my area of Manchester, where Burnham used to be the MP. Gobourne is welcome, but will not serve the people of nearby Leigh, because it’s too far away, and public transport to there is abysmal. Better bus services to the wonderful ex L&Y Atherton line, because it’s pretty much inaccessible from my part of the city. The issue is Manchester has been a litany of failed ideas. The much heralded Ordsal Chord, has been rendered almost useless, because the Deansgate corridor has never been expanded. Stockport does not need a tram service, the south of the city is already well served by public transport, unlike the West of the city.