New rail plans for Stockport have been revealed today as Stockport Council and Transport for Greater Manchester today publish a new vision for rail travel in the Stockport area.
Although described by some as somewhat ambitious, the plan includes getting connected to the Metrolink network, improvements to the existing local rail stations, the improvement of Stockport Railway Station which is key to the regeneration of the town centre and in HS2 where there is a clear strategy to retain the existing excellent connectivity of Stockport as a key stop on the West Coast Mail Line.
Tram Trains / Metrolink for Marple
The existing Marple to Manchester Picadilly service to be converted to a ‘Tram train’ system, and in turn connect to Stockport town centre.
This would be the start of a southern ‘orbital’ network for Metrolink, connecting the east of Greater Manchester to Manchester Airport, with Stockport town centre as a key hub in this new network. It would transform connectivity to key employment locations for many communities and reduce congestion on our road network.
The plan is complementary to the current work to replace the outdated Stockport bus station with a new transport interchange.
Improvement of existing railway stations:
The strategy recommends improving existing suburban railway stations to improve the regularity of trains and improve passenger’s journey experiences, in particular improvement of bicycle storage facilities and better lighting and CCTV.
Stockport Railway Station:
The improvement of Stockport Railway Station is key to the regeneration of the town centre. In particular, the regeneration of the station will support other key developments in the area, such as Stockport Exchange, a new office quarter adjacent to the railway station.
The report outlines that the timing is now right to make improvements to Stockport Station and calls for a new masterplan for the station to consider making improvements to the signage and platform layout, refurbished waiting and retail areas and toilet facilities.
High Speed 2 (HS2)
Stockport will work with others to ensure a ‘classic compatible’ service is delivered, running on the existing West Coast Main Line and then connecting to the new high speed line in the Birmingham area. This will safeguard the importance of Stockport as a key rail location is sustained for the long term.
Cllr Roberts, Deputy Leader of Stockport Council said:
“It is important we continue to work closely with our partners such as Transport for Greater Manchester to develop these plans now to ensure that we can move our aspirations forward in the future.
‘We fully recognise the importance of the rail network to local communities right across Stockport including those currently served where improvement is required, and to those currently outside the network. We are committed to working together with all partners and stakeholders to deliver this exciting plan.
“Stockport already has strong transport links and by improving what we currently have and further developing the rail network we can take a logical step forward in improving connectivity across the south of Manchester and beyond.”
Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the TfGM Committee, said:
“At this point, tram-train is one of the longer term projects for Greater Manchester and it is something we will continue to support as strongly as we can.
“Since we agreed an initial strategy at the end of 2013, a lot of detailed work has been undertaken to ensure that, as and when the opportunity arises in terms of both funding and powers, we can realise the benefits of tram-train as soon as possible.
“This very useful report from Stockport Council will feed into our future plans and inform our ongoing engagement with Rail North.”
For more information on the Stockport Rail Strategy visit: www.stockport.gov.uk/railstrategy
Muse appoints Apprentice Project Manager in the North West 
Stockort 8 site repurposed as studio space ahead of redevelopment 
£28 million fund launched to decarbonise public buildings in Greater Manchester