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Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has confirmed plans for a Metrolink extension into Stockport are set to be published soon after the General Election.
Speaking at a campaign event at Stockport Interchange, he said that work on the business case for the bringing the tram into the town centre was complete and due to be published in early June, but was delayed by the General Election announcement, the Manchester Evening News has reported.
Extending the Metrolink into Stockport has been a cross-party ambition in the town and work to deliver the line was first announced in 2019 with the launch of the Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation. The recently completed Stockport Interchange, as well as works on the Greek Street railway bridge have both seen any future tram lines included into their design. Proposals are expected to see the East Didsbury line extended through Heaton Mersey and across the river, before passing through Edgeley and terminating at Stockport Interchange.
Alongside the route to Stockport, Andy Burnham also confirmed similar ambitions to progress on expanding the network in the city-region’s North, connecting the Atom Valley Mayoral Development Zone in Middleton, Heywood, and Bury: the area is set to be developed as a cluster for the advanced manufacturing sector.
The Greater Manchester Mayor also reconfirmed the joint ambitions held with Liverpool City Region Mayor, Steve Rotheram, on delivering a new railway line between the two city-regions via Manchester Airport. Funding for the £17 billion project largely has been already allocated via the previous government’s Integrated Rail Plan.