Stockport station to undergo nine-figure transformation
Modern station buildings at both the town centre and Edgeley entrances, as well as a pedestrian footbridge, form part of plans to revamp one of the North’s best-connected rail hubs to better serve its 4m annual users.
Stockport Council and Transport for Greater Manchester have unveiled plans that are expected to cost in excess of £100m to turn the town’s train station into “a modern, accessible and better-connected transport hub on Europe’s busiest rail line.” A planning application is expected in 2027/28 with work expected to start towards the end of the decade.
Stockport is envied for its fast connections into Manchester, which can see passengers arrive in the city centre by train in under 10 minutes.
The town’s connectivity is seen as a key driver of the regeneration around the station, including the growing Stockport Exchange office complex, the redeveloped bus station, and the thousands of homes that have been delivered or are in the pipeline to the west of the town centre.
Now attention is turning to the station itself, with plans in the works for major upgrades to improve the user experience and get the estate ready to welcome the Metrolink. The council said the ambitions for the station should match those of the surrounding area.
The Edgeley entrance. Credit: via Stockport Council
The improvements to the station will include:
- New station buildings at both entrances
- A new footbridge connecting Stockport Exchange and Edgeley, rendering the tunnel currently used to access platforms largely redundant
- Land off Shaw Heath safeguarded for a Metrolink station
- Accessibility improvements in and around the station
- Public realm upgrades.
The project team includes WSP and BDP working with Stockport Council in consultation with TfGM , Network Rail, and Avanti.
Cllr Mark Roberts, Leader of Stockport Council, said: “Stockport is fast becoming one of the most exciting places in the country and Stockport deserves a station that matches that confidence and momentum.
“[We] have the opportunity to transform one of the most important gateways into Greater Manchester and the North.
“We’re already seeing unprecedented investment and regeneration across Stockport, from new homes and employment opportunities to major transport improvements, such as the arrival of Metrolink and the creation of our award-winning Interchange. The station is the next significant project on that journey.”
He added: “This isn’t just about building a better station. It’s about building a gateway that reflects the confidence, ambition and pride of a borough that knows where it’s going and I hope everyone will take the opportunity to engage with the plans.”
How the station could look inside. Credit: via Stockport Council
Stockport has been threatening to upgrade its station for the last 10 years. In 2016, WSP developed a proposal that includes many of the features unveiled today.
In 2020, A £550m, 12-year strategy to improve the station and surrounding infrastructure was unveiled by the council, TfGM, and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Within that strategy, the work to the station itself was earmarked for phase two and would have costed between £50m and £100m based on 2020 estimates.
Much of what was earmarked for phase one in the 2020 strategy – the replacement of the Greek Street roundabout located above the train line, the creation of a £120m bus interchange, and improved links between the interchange and the station – has already been delivered.
Vernon Everitt, transport commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: “The transformation of Stockport Interchange demonstrates what can be achieved by putting transport at the heart of wider plans for homes, jobs and economic growth.
“As we continue to develop a fully integrated Bee Network, including bringing rail into the network, we want stations and interchanges to make journeys easier, more accessible and better connected with the places they serve. This consultation gives passengers, residents and businesses an important opportunity to help shape the future of Stockport railway station.”
There will be a number of in-person consultation events:
- October 15 – Stockroom – 2.30pm to 6pm
- November 4 – Stockport Exchange 2 – 12.30pm to 4.30pm
- November 9 – Our Lady’s Primary School, Edgeley – 4pm to 8pm
The consultation closes at midnight on Tuesday 17 November 2026.
