Stockport is one of only a few boroughs in the region that’s not currently connected up to the expansive Metrolink network.
Work is currently ongoing to create a new state-of-the-art transport interchange in the town centre, and an important part of this includes infrastructure that will make the area “Metrolink ready” – but while the intention for trams to eventually travel to and from the town has been known for quite some time now, there hasn’t been much talk of timelines or when this would actually become a reality.
But now, Mayor Andy Burnham has finally given locals the update they’ve been waiting for.
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Andy Burnham insists he’s got ‘big ambition’ to take the Metrolink to Stockport / Credit: Flickr
In an interview with BBC Radio Manchester last week, the Greater Manchester Mayor assured residents that a “detailed update” on the case would be shared before 2024 arrives, and confirmed that Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) was currently looking at “precise schemes” to extend the network.
“Transport for Greater Manchester have been doing a detailed assessment of all of our ambitions for Metrolink,” Mr Burnham explained during his interview, “and the Metrolink to Stockport is a big part of that.
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“The new interchange that links to new infrastructure is going to be Metrolink ready, so it’s being built with that capability [and] what we’re doing now is looking at the precise schemes that we’ve got to expand Metrolink and looking at the cost of the, and we’re going to publish that work later this year.”
The Metrolink connection is set to form part of the new transport interchange in Stockport town centre / Credit: Stockport Council
Mr Burnham added that not only does TfGM and GMCA have “big ambition” to take the Metrolink to Stockport, but also to Middleton, Heywood, and up to Bury through the new Atom Valley site.
“We’ve got a bit more capital funding from the Government,” he continued.
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“We didn’t agree with their decision around high-speed rail, and east-west rail across the North, but as a result of that, they’ve increased some of our local capital so we’ve got some extra ability to do more.
“The long and short of it is that it’s a really important ambition for the city region, we’re going to give a really detailed update later this year on the business case for bringing Metrolink to Stockport so look out for that.”
Featured Image – TfGM
Boroughs
Greater Manchester emergency services issue urgent safety warning ahead of Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
An urgent safety warning has been issued by emergency services ahead of Bonfire Night this week.
With Bonfire Night only a few days away now, and fireworks already starting to be let off across the region, Greater Manchester’s emergency services have, once again, come together to launch a campaign urging communities to be safe, and warn against attacking emergency service workers or taking part in anti-social behaviour.
Led by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS), in partnership with Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), and the region’s 10 local Councils, the Bang Out Of Order campaign highlights the consequences of anti-social behaviour.
Last year, incidents of anti-social behaviour relating to nuisance from fireworks rose by 2% – with 1,020 cases recorded, while attacks on firefighters also sadly increased.
An urgent safety warning has been issued by emergency services ahead of Bonfire Night / Credit: DESIGNECOLOGIST (via Unsplash)
935 fires were also started deliberately between 1 September and 10 November last year, while 767 hoax calls were made to the police and fire service within the same time period.
GMFRS has now issued an urgent safety warning.
Matt Hamer, Director for Community Safety and Training, said: “The Bonfire Night period is one of the busiest times of the year for our emergency services, and we want everyone to enjoy the celebrations safely and responsibly.
“We strongly encourage people to attend organised firework displays and bonfire events wherever possible. If you are planning your own celebrations, it is essential that you follow the Firework Code and take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and those around you.
“Deliberately setting fires, misusing fireworks or attacking emergency service workers is completely unacceptable and can have serious consequences. Our firefighters are there to protect communities and should never face abuse, violence or intimidation while carrying out their duties.
“By working together with our partners and local communities, we can help ensure Greater Manchester remains safe throughout the bonfire season.”
Featured Image – GMFRS
Boroughs
TfGM apologises after two weeks of major tram disruption across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Trams have finally resumed running in Greater Manchester following two weeks of major disruption across the Metrolink network.
Tram services have resumed across the Altrincham, Eccles, and Trafford Park lines this morning (Monday 2 November) following the completion of major track replacement work between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield, while maintenance and renewal work also took place on the Eccles line and in the city centre during the planned closure.
Engineers replaced around 4km of track on what is said to be one of the ‘busiest and most complex’ sections of the Metrolink network.
The new track will allow further speed restrictions to be lifted, as according to TfGM, around 100,000 journeys are already benefiting from journey time improvements delivered through previous phases of work every day.
It all forms part of the next phase of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network in a bid to make it ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable’ for years to come.
✅ This morning, tram services have resumed on the Altrincham, East Didsbury, Eccles, Manchester Airport and Trafford Park lines.
We thank customers for their patience and understanding while these works took place.
↪️ A small service change remains in place through the city centre until the end of service on Wednesday 4 November.
Until then, trams on the Bury – Altrincham, and Victoria – Manchester Airport lines will divert via Exchange Square. Customers may need to change trams to reach Shudehill or Market Street.
👉 Find out more: https://t.co/Vm08ZEDUq4
With services now back up and running, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has issued a statement apologising for disruption.
Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM, commented: “This was an essential piece of engineering work on one of the busiest parts of our tram network and will help keep services safe, reliable and fit for the future.
“We’re sorry for the disruption and I’d like to thank passengers, residents, and businesses for their patience while we got on with the job.
“The upgrades mean customers will benefit from smoother journeys and allow us to lift further speed restrictions on this section of the network. It will help speed up our journeys and improve reliability for everyone who uses our network.
“Completing work of this scale on time is a significant achievement and I’d like to thank everyone involved for getting it done safely and efficiently.”
Emily Sergeant -
31st October 2023 
