Multi-million pound announcement brings Metrolink to Rochdale

Date published: 06/07/2006

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority has welcomed the announcement by the government that the Metrolink expansion to Rochdale will go ahead and revealed further details about the plans. However, local politicians, Paul Rowen MP and Leader of the Council, Alan Taylor, have expressed their disappointment that the tram isn’t going come into Rochdale town centre, at least initially.

The decision by the Secretary of State for Transport, Douglas Alexander, to grant conditional approval for the scheme means the process of selecting contractors can now get underway.

The funding released by the government will go towards Phase 3a of the expansion and includes extending Metrolink to Rochdale, replacing the existing railway line which runs to Manchester via Oldham.

Up to 30 new trams will be introduced to the network as part of Phase 3a bringing the total number operating on the system to nearly 70.

A bid for the additional funding required to extend Metrolink into Rochdale town centre will be submitted to the government’s Transport Innovation Fund next year as part of plans to significantly improve public transport across Greater Manchester. A successful bid will allow both Phases 3a and 3b to be delivered simultaneously.

Councillor Allen Brett, the Vice Chairman and Rochdale spokesperson for the Authority, said: "I’m delighted by today’s news which will lead to major economic benefits for the borough and bring a particular boost to the Kingsway Business Park. The Metrolink expansion will make it much easier to get to Oldham and Manchester and for people from outside the borough to reach Rochdale.

"This announcement is the result of the overwhelming support people in Rochdale have given our plans to bring Metrolink to the borough. The government’s decision to release this funding is just the start of major improvements to public transport in Rochdale over the next ten years.

"We remain committed to extending Metrolink into Rochdale town centre and I’m pleased that the bid to the Transport Innovation Fund next year will include this as a priority. I look forward to Metrolink trams becoming a familiar sight in the town centre as well as elsewhere in the borough."

The decision to grant conditional approval for the Phase 3a expansion means work on the three new lines could start in just two years’ time as long as the cost remains within the budget set by the Department for Transport.

Phase 3a, which includes the 13.7 mile (22 km) extension to Rochdale train station via Oldham, will also take Metrolink to Droylsden in Tameside and Chorlton in South Manchester.

New stops will be constructed at Newbold and Kingsway Business Park on the section of the line in the borough. Newhey and Milnrow train stations will also be converted into tram stops and Rochdale station will become a bus, train and tram interchange.

Proposals for Greater Manchester’s bid for funding from the Transport Innovation Fund are currently being developed and further details about them will be released later this year.

Greater Manchester has already been awarded an initial grant of £1.25 million from the fund to investigate new ways of improving public transport and tackling congestion, which would include extending Metrolink into Rochdale town centre.

The Transport Innovation Fund bid will be submitted to the government in July 2007 and a decision is expected to be announced in December 2007.

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen said: "I’m pleased that the Government is finally giving the go-ahead on the Metrolink extension to Rochdale. We’ve all been waiting a very long time, and a lot of people have worked very hard getting a result for Rochdale. It’s going to be a big boost to the Borough.

"However I’m hugely disappointed that the tram isn’t going come into Rochdale town centre, at least to begin with. I think this is a mistake – we’re missing out on a big opportunity to get a properly integrated public transport network.

"Rochdale bus station is ½ a mile (and a big hill!) away from Rochdale Rail Station and the proposed Metrolink stop. £650m is being spent on this network, but cost cutting at last hurdle will make the tram so much less user-friendly than it might have been. It’s the same in Oldham. I’m worried that this short-sighted stinginess will have a serious impact on the long-term financial viability of Metrolink.

"People only travel on public transport when it takes them from where they are to where they want to go. If journeys are made more difficult, then people just don’t have the incentive to get out of their cars. I’m pleased that Metrolink is coming to Rochdale, but it must be fit for the purpose.

"I shall be seeking a meeting with the Minister to discuss this matter."

Leader of Rochdale Council Councillor Alan Taylor said: "The decision that funding will be restored for the Metrolink line to Rochdale is excellent news for the borough, for the local economy and for local people. The arrival of Metrolink in Rochdale is a central feature of our plans to regenerate the town centre, and will be a great boost to the developing Kingsway Business Park."

Residents and businesses in the borough have been patient to see the arrival of trams in the town. We will have to wait a little longer for the full scheme to be delivered, but I am confident that this hurdle will be overcome in Rochdale and Oldham."

I feel this is a missed opportunity, and I fully back Paul Rowen's MP request for a meeting with the minister. Rochdale rail station is some distance from shops and other facilities. This decision flies in the face of our need to integrate passenger transport services in the town centre."

The arrival of the trams will not be in isolation. Together with the planned new bus interchange and our ambitious plans for the better shopping, better leisure facilities in the town centre, Metrolink will be a crucial piece of the jigsaw to restore the vitality and prosperity of the town."

I would like to thank all those people and organisations who worked to make this happen over the last few years through the 'Get Metrolink Back on Track' campaign, without whom we would not have this excellent news."

View map of the route:

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/News/media/metrolink_route_map.gif