Exciting plans to expand Greater Manchester’s tram and train network have been given a significant boost with over £6 million in new investment. The funding, approved by the Bee Network Committee and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, will be used to advance planning for a pipeline of future “rapid transit” schemes.
The plans are part of the broader Greater Manchester Strategy, launched in July, which aims for 90% of people in the city-region to be within a five-minute walk of a bus or tram that comes at least every 30 minutes by 2030. The long-term goal is to connect every borough to the Metrolink network as part of a major Bee Network expansion.
New Lines and Future Plans
The £6 million in funding will be used for several key projects, including:
- Metrolink to Stockport: Finalising the business case for an extension from East Didsbury, with construction planned for 2030. The plan will also explore tram-train connections to Hazel Grove, Tameside, and Manchester Airport.
- Airport Line ‘Western Leg’: Starting work this year on a business case to serve key growth areas around the airport, Wythenshawe Hospital, and Davenport Green, with potential tram-train links to Stockport and Altrincham.
- Salford Connections: Beginning a business case in summer 2026 to expand Metrolink connections to Salford Crescent and Salford Quays, and to explore links to Leigh, Wigan, and Bolton.
Additionally, work will continue to protect routes for future schemes to Glossop, Hadfield, Marple, and Warrington, and to develop plans for a new underground system to complement the proposed Liverpool-Manchester Railway.
New Trams and New Ambitions
The report also outlines plans to purchase a new generation of trams. These will be double-length and fully “walk-through”, providing extra capacity to meet growing demand and support future economic and population growth.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Every part of our city region needs to feel the benefits of Greater Manchester’s growth. To make sure that happens, we’ve pledged to connect our people and communities to new opportunities better than ever before. We’re planning to connect all ten boroughs to the ever-popular Metrolink network as part of a long-term, sustained expansion of the Bee Network. This latest funding means we can develop the case for a pipeline of both tram and tram-train new lines and extensions – and ultimately underground infrastructure in the city centre – to make sure we get a public transport system befitting the global city region we are.”
Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: “Better transport is a core enabler of economic growth, higher productivity and greater access to homes, jobs and wider opportunity across the whole of Greater Manchester. This new development work will help ensure that we have a pipeline of projects to build on everything that is already being done across bus, tram, rail and walking, wheeling and cycling as we create an integrated Bee Network for the people and businesses of this fast-growing city-region.”
Image: TfGM
