Proposed developments of Manchester Metrolink

Buckley Wells tram stop and Elton Reservoir tram stop have been proposed to provide better passenger access in southern Bury, and would be on the Bury Line between Bury Interchange and Radcliffe tram stop.[1]

As of 2013, Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council aspires to link Middleton to the Metrolink network by constructing a branch off the Bury Line routed from Bowker Vale tram stop to Middleton town centre.[2] Rochdale Council first proposed this extension of Metrolink to Middleton in 2008, and priced the scheme at £80 million.[3]

In June 2018, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) signalled their support for a Middleton extension after a meeting with the council.[4]

In January 2019, it was revealed as part of a plan for new houses in Greater Manchester that the Metrolink would be extended to Middleton.[5]

In January 2016, Jim McMahon, MP for Oldham West and Royton, proposed two loop extensions to the metrolink system around Oldham:

• A spur from Westwood tram stop on the Oldham and Rochdale line to Middleton town centre, then joining the Bury line near Bowker Vale, in line with the proposed Middleton extension.
• The Ashton Loop, extending the line beyond Ashton town centre to Oldham Mumps.

Both would connect Rochdale to its neighbouring towns without the need to travel in and out of Manchester city centre. Initial high level feasibility work was undertaken by officials at TfGM that demonstrated the route is technically possible.[6]

In Salford City Council's 2004–2016 unitary development plan:

• Extending from Eccles Interchange along the A57 road to Barton-upon-Irwell and then across the Manchester Ship Canal to the Trafford Centre.[7]
• Re-opening the Tyldesley Loopline from Eccles to Little Hulton via Walkden with Metrolink services.[7]
• Tram-train between Manchester and Wigan via Salford, as proposed by the Regional Spatial Strategy for North West England.[7]

In January 2019, it was revealed as part of a plan for new houses in Greater Manchester that the Metrolink would be extended to Salford Stadium.[8]

The Stockport–Stalybridge line as a proposed line of Metrolink

As of 2011, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council aspires to extend the East Manchester Line from Ashton-under-Lyne to Stalybridge.[9]

In January 2019, it was revealed as part of a plan for new houses in Greater Manchester that the Metrolink would be extended to Stalybridge.[10]

In January 2015 Stockport Metropolitan Borough adopted a Rail Strategy proposing substantial conversion of current rail alignments around Stockport to tram-train operation, running into an interchange at Stockport bus station. These proposed services expand on, and are consistent with, those outlined in the TfGM tram-train strategy document. Earlier plans (now discarded) had envisaged the Metrolink line to East Didsbury being extended to Stockport along the Mersey Valley. The revised plan proposes instead a revised alignment for this link via Edgeley and Stockport railway station.

• Stockport town centre to Manchester city centre via Heaton Norris, Reddish South and Belle Vue (linking with the proposed Manchester – Marple tram-train line);
• Stockport town centre to Manchester Airport via Edgeley and Baguley;
• Stockport town centre to Altrincham via Edgeley and Baguley;
• Stockport town centre to East Didsbury (and on to Manchester city centre), via Edgeley, Gorsey Bank and Cheadle Heath;
• Hazel Grove to East Didsbury via Gorsey Bank.

In the Rail Strategy, Stockport MBC also outline longer term aspirations to establish tram-train services between Stockport town centre and Marple; and between Stockport town centre and Ashton town centre.[11]

In January 2020 it was announced TfGM and Stockport Council are preparing to ask for funding for a long planned direct Metrolink line from the end of the South Manchester line at East Didsbury to the new Stockport transport interchange.

Metrolink and the TfGM Committee have prepared five costed proposals for extending Metrolink using tram-train technology over the existing heavy rail network in the region; along the Mid-Cheshire Line (between Stockport and Hale), the Hope Valley Line (between Manchester and Marple), the Glossop Line (between Manchester and the dual termini at Hadfield and Glossop), the Manchester to Sheffield Line (between Manchester and Hazel Grove), and along the Manchester to Southport Line (between Manchester and Wigan via Atherton), with an estimated total funding requirement of £870 million as of 2013.[12] TfGM intend to proceed to the identification of potential rail industry funding options, subject to a review of lessons from a tram-train pilot scheme on the Sheffield Supertram system.[13]

Although axed in 2005 to control costs, the Wythenshawe Loop on the Airport Line remains an aspiration of TfGM.[14] As of October 2014 there is renewed interest from TFGM, particularly as the route could link with HS2 Manchester Interchange.[15] It would create a loop from Roundthorn tram stop to the Wythenshawe Hospital and Newall Green and back to Roundthorn, and improve access between Wythenshawe and Manchester city centre on a route which is physically impaired by the River Mersey and M60 motorway.[1][16]