Start signal given for Cheadle station 

Delivery of a scheme connecting the Stockport district to the rail network for the first time in 60 years can begin next month.

Introducing a station onto the Mid-Cheshire line between Stockport and Chester has been in the works since 2019, with the case being made in a Towns Fund bid for Cheadle in 2020, a proposal that received Whitehall sign-off in 2022. Pell Frischmann and ELG Planning are key advisors.

Technical work has been ongoing since, and Network Rail and Northern Trains have now announced that a major obstacle to development has been cleared, allowing work to begin.

This relates largely to timetabling, and the latest assessment by the rail industry partners has shown that the risks of delay to services along the line can be reasonably managed and should not be considered reason enough for halting the Cheadle scheme.

Pressure had come from a sustained campaign by Stockport Council and local partners to secure the station, which would reconnect Cheadle to the rail network for the first time in more than 60 years.

It means work on the highway near the location of the station – a single-platform scheme, to be brought forward in former staff parking areas at the Alexandra hospital – can start this month, following months of build-up work involving the Department for Transport, Network Rail, Northern, Transport for Greater Manchester, Stockport Council and local partners.

George Cox, the Bolton and Stockport-based civil engineering firm, will work on the highways part of the project.

Cllr Mark Roberts, Leader of Stockport Council, said: “This is a hugely significant moment for Cheadle and for Stockport.

“For years we’ve fought for this station because we know the difference it will make to residents, businesses and the future prosperity of the area.

“Cheadle Station has always been about improving connections, creating opportunities and making it easier for people to travel for work, education and leisure and I am delighted that the highways work can now start on site later this month thanks to the persistence and partnership of all involved.”

Brian Bradley, chair of the Cheadle Towns Fund Board, said: “This is a fantastic milestone for Cheadle and a moment that many people have worked hard to achieve over a number of years.

“The Towns Fund Board has always recognised the transformational impact that a new railway station can have, not only by improving connections but by supporting local businesses, attracting investment and helping to secure Cheadle’s long-term economic future.”

The rail industry’s latest position recognises that more work will need to be done so that the removal of services at Ashley and Plumley is no longer required once Cheadle comes on-stream.

The project cleared local planning in 2023, with documents available to view on Stockport Council’s planning portal, reference DC/084801.