Stockport tram dream takes step closer thanks to £2.5bn govt injection
Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ announcement of a multi-billion transport funding package for the North and the Midlands will allow GM Mayor Andy Burnham to make good on his promise to bring the Metrolink to the town.
Greater Manchester is set to receive £2.5bn of the wider £15.2bn investment in regional infrastructure, which will be invested in various Bee Network projects, including the extension of the tram line from East Didsbury to Stockport.
It is expected that trams to Stockport would terminate at the interchange, which was built with a potential tram stop in mind, according to Transport for Greater Manchester.
Cllr Mark Roberts, Leader of Stockport Council, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that the government has backed funding to bring Metrolink to Stockport — this is a huge moment for our borough and for Greater Manchester.
“Stockport is the fastest-growing town in Greater Manchester, and today’s decision sends a powerful signal that investment is following ambition. We’ve already delivered the award-winning, Metrolink-ready Stockport Interchange and the UK’s largest town centre regeneration — now, we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and get on site to deliver Metrolink.
“And this isn’t just a win for Stockport. It’s a major step towards delivering the UK’s first fully integrated, zero-emission public transport system across the whole of Greater Manchester — and Stockport is proud to be right at the heart of it.”
The funding package is to be known as Transport for City Regions funding and will be applied between 2027-28 and 2031-32.
Stockport is by no means among the worst connected towns in Greater Manchester; indeed, it benefits from regular trains to and from Manchester city centre.
However, plans to bring the tram to Stockport have been in the works for years with GM Mayor Andy Burnham citing it as key to unlocking the town’s potential.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, called the investment “game-changing” adding the Greater Manchester Combined Authority can now proceed “at pace to deliver the next phase of the Bee Network”, which would become the UK’s first fully electric transport system by 2030.
He said: “With a pipeline of major transport projects better connecting our towns and cities, and local rail lines brought into the Bee Network, our communities will be the first outside London to be served by fully joined-up bike, bus, tram, and train travel.
“Greater Manchester has had a decade of growth faster than the UK average. This funding, together with our devolved decision-making powers, can be the key to unlocking even more growth in the decade to come.”
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said the pledge of funding was “transformative news” for the region, adding that the city has campaigned tirelessly for “many years” to see investment in its transport system from Whitehall.
Greater Manchester’s £2.5bn package will contribute to the creation of an all-electric, emission-free local public transport network and integrate rail under the Bee Network’s brand.
The Chancellor’s funding will also be allocated to other regions with transit pots to the tune of £2.4bn for Birmingham, £2.1bn for West Yorkshire, and £1.5bn for South Yorkshire. Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is due £1.6bn for transport upgrades.
Ex-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised the funding after the slashing of the final northern HS2 leg – he called it “Network North”, offering £12bn to improve Manchester-Liverpool connections, although the region has yet to receive the promised cash.
Ministers in Whitehall are scrambling to snap up the final cash reserves on offer before Reeves sets out capital allocations in next week’s highly anticipated spending review.
Once again Greater Manchester getting the largest pot of money for its infrastructure. It should be based on need not where your mates are
By Anonymous
It’s been said before but Manchester needs more of its boroughs interconnected via tram rather than the hub and spoke design bringing everything into the city centre. Perhaps the next iteration of funding?
By Niall
£2.5 billion for three new tram stops, electric buses and a 2 mile tram extension to Stockport… wheres the rest of the money going? Where is the middleton tram extension?
By ALL
@Niall – you are spot on. Perfect start would somehow be linking Eccles, Stretford, Chorlton and Didsbury on a Southern Arc. No sure how feasible that is but it would be amazing
By Bob
To Anonymous , well liverpool had loads of funding in the 1960’s and 1970’s , tunnels under the mersey, underground rail network, while greater Manchester despite having a million more people that Merseyside got nothing, so still a lot of need in Greater Manchester.
By MC
Who would actually use a Stockport to Didsbury Metrolink extension? There is an excellent set of bus services between the two areas. If going into the city centre or out to the airport from Stockport the existing rail services are also excellent.
Genuinely can someone at PNW ask Cllr Roberts what are the economic benefits to be derived from this proposal (which must exist in a business case somewhere).
By Anonymous
Details of full government announcement – including money for areas other that Greater Manchester – are here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/biggest-ever-investment-in-city-region-local-transport-as-chancellor-vows-the-renewal-of-britain
Specifcally on Greater Manchester – it is more than just the three new tram stops, electric buses and 2 miles of Metrolink into Stockport. Just the 1,000 new electric buses will cost around half a billion… I guess they’re considered essential as part of th technological solution to air quality that’s required to avoid a charging clean air zone. Details from the government announcement:
Greater Manchester
£2.5 billion
Major infrastructure projects to unlock new homes, jobs and better connect communities, including growing and transforming the Metrolink tram network, with new tram stops in Bury, Manchester and Oldham and Metrolink extension to Stockport. A fully electric Bee Network, with zero emission public transport network across bikes, bus and tram by 2030, including purchase of 1,000 new electric buses. £530m to renew the tram network, providing a fleet of new, replacement vehicles, modernising tram stops, as well maintenance to improve reliability.
By Anonymous
Wonderful news that Metrolink expansion is still on the agenda; But Mayor Burnham pledged in his ’24 manifesto to get a business case written for Metrolink to the Bolton & Wigan boroughs. Even if the business case says its too expensive, I’d rather at least see the evidence.
By Anonymous
Hope they don’t have to wait as long as Leeds it will never get built
By Dmls1
Niall – the Stockport tram was already intended to come from the Airport direction so that will be an ‘orbital’ link
By CG
Great news. Once again Greater Manchester showing it can be trusted by both Labour and Conservative Government’s to deliver major projects, which is why it’s been allocated the largest sum of money. Nothing to do with who your mates are it’s about having a 30 year proven record of delivery.
By Anonymous
CG – There’s no side to this – I just want to clarify whether I’m missing something – but please can you explain to me how the Stockport tram comes from the Airport direction? Sounds very much like it’ll come from town, extend through East Didsbury then onto Stockport? If that’s the case then a ‘pure tram journey’ from the Airport to Stockport would involve a change at St Werburgh’s Road.
By Anonymous
On a per capita basis, it looks like GM has got the least generous settlement and Liverpool has actually done quite well.
By Local Interest
Great for Stockport – as you say, already well connected with trains and buses and redeveloped. This is a missed opportunity.
The money needs to be spent in the less affluent areas such as Middleton and the northern GM towns.
By Spread the Wealth
So yes, despite the doubters on here, there is a good business case for East Didsbury to Stockport Metrolink extension. I was part of the team at TfGM that planned a route (slightly different to the current proposals) in the 1990s and there was both a good financial and business case. If SMBC had been better at interacting with the other nine GM authorities (sounds familiar?) it would have already been built. The mistake your commenters make is that it is designed for journeys from Stockport to the regional centre. In fact, it is intended for more local journeys and this will be its main benefit.
By Peter Black
Some of the comments on here are just plain silly. The Government money is not ‘going to where your mates are’. It is targeted on city-region areas outside London that have been starved of the investment that is essential to improve regional productivity.
By Peter Black
Let’s face it: Stockport isn’t really the place in GM most in need of further transport infrastructure – as said by others in this section. 12-minutes train trip to get to Piccadilly is unbeatable. However, it could be good for the areas on the path between Stockport and East Didsbury – and it would be great if Stockport could in turn get connected through tram to Manchester Airport, to improve intra-region connectivity.
So, other developments would probably be more of a priority (connecting Bury and Oldham through Middleton, or a line between MediaCityUK–Salford Crescent). On the other hand, there have been so few developments on the Metrolink over the past few years that I am happy for any new expansion
By Giant Tram Fan
@Anonymous, loads of people would use the Metrolink to East Didsbury. And it doesn’t matter if there are buses. If we had no Metrolink, everything would be buses. But buses are slow and get stuck in traffic far more than this tram line would, which is mostly segregated. Secondly, the tram goes beyond Didsbury, so it’s not just a tram to Didsbury. It also connects to other lines and is part of a network
By EOD
Should put off the Burnham Labour leadership challenge for a bit longer. He’d make a great PM.
By Dave C
With a tram extension from East didsbury tram Station to Stockport,,how about moving both the east didsbury tram Statiion and east didsbury train station so they are nearer to each other and turning it into an interchange. Where people can get a tram to the interchange they get a train to the airport.
By ALL
Without sounding like a trainspotter there is no current rail connection between Stockport town centre and the airport.
By Anonymous
Peter @ 2.27pm. It would be great then if TfGM made public the business case for this 2 to 3 mile extension then the rest of GM can assess where the bar has been set to determine if limited public money should be invested into this proposal. S
tockport Town Centre is already uniquely placed through bus and train to access jobs in Manchester city centre and at the Airport.I struggle to see how an extension to Stockport stacks up as the Town Centre regeneration strategy appears to be residential driven rather than job driven.
By Anonymous
The North/South divide in Greater Manchester demonstrated again. A town with the best existing connections to central Manchester gets a tram service, whilst Bolton, Leigh and Wigan are left out on a limb again.
By Anonymous
I believe it when I see it, but it’s much needed. Trafford Park is one of the regions biggest employment hubs, but the links from Stockport are abysmal. The tram would aid public transport travel to that area.
By Anonymous
So cheshire should get about £1.5billion. through the new combined authority
By Northwich
Anybody know where the Heaton Mersey stop will be?
By Anonymous
A win is a win. We can all see where the next generation of Metrolink after this will need to go, a tram tunnel through the city core and more circumferential lines, but for this 5 year cycle there’s a lot to like, especially in the North of GM. Good we’ve nailed this early in the national and local electoral cycle, I can’t imagine this kind of package from the Reform types.
By Rich X
Think the framing of Metrolink expansion as ‘Stockport’ does the whole proposal an injustice.
In practise, Stockport metrolink means Altrincham – Airport – Stockport, most likely with Timperley & Gatley gaining stations. Assume Cheadle Village station is being built with metrolink in mind.
It means Didsbury to Stockport, and an opportunity for those onward connections.
Besides airport connectivity, worth pointing out metrolink makes Stockport station a more attractive alternative than Piccadilly for almost all of South Manchester / parts of Trafford / Stockport Borough – huge opportunities for relieving pressure on Piccadilly. Huge opportunities for housing & relieving pressure.
That’s before jobs, or simply the convenience of going to shop / eat / drink in Alty / Stockport / Cheadle rather than Manchester city centre.
Represents a massive first step in building a genuine orbital line
By Anonymous
‘Who exactly would use it?’ WE WOULD!! The 23 and 42 are not exactly fabulous, especially
on Sundays and often there is only one wheelchair bay as they still have the old buses so we have to wait 40-60 minutes sometimes if there are people already using it. The tram is going to be AWESOME – really easily accessible and ideal for families and people who have disabilities – hope this answers your question Anonymous!
By Kathy
I hope they dont just settle for a tram train. it should be a proper extension from East Didsbury
By Anonymous
eventually could continue to stalybridge & ashton
By Anonymous
Can we stop getting confused about this being a step towards an orbital system? It isn’t. It does not connect Stockport with a direct route to the airport, or Altrincham, or Tameside. Nor do those links exist other than bus which, sorry, doesn’t really count. Extending from East Didsbury to Stockport is certainly a big positive, but it’s not a step towards orbital.
By Anonymous
Would be good to see this lead on to a plan to integrate Marple into Stockport somehow. It’s still a real kink in the system and the cause of traffic issues that bleed out towards Hazel Grove and Bredbury. Anyway…
By Tom