A major transport vision including Metrolink extensions and a new tram-train link for north Manchester has been endorsed by town hall bosses.
The new transport links will help connect homes and people to the incoming Northern Gateway project, which is set to become one of the largest and most accessible employment and innovation hubs in the region, driving substantial investment into Greater Manchester.
It will be complemented by the delivery of new homes and infrastructure within the wider Atom Valley scheme, requiring a robust transport network to connect all areas together.
Metrolink extensions to Middleton as well as the new tram-train are seen as key in these plans.
The tram-train would be a new public transport vehicle that could travel on both rail lines and tram tracks, without being connected to the overhead lines.
Atom Valley is one of six growth locations in Greater Manchester and includes significant parts of Bury, Oldham and Rochdale.
It is a vast area of 17m sq ft employment space, with the potential to offer 20,000 ‘highly skilled’ roles in the technology and manufacturing sectors as well as thousands of new homes. Heywood and Pilsworth are set to see 1,200 new homes delivered over two decades, with a further 1,550 earmarked for Simister and Bowlee.
The Northern Gateway transport vision has been devised so people can easily get to and from the employment zone quicker, easier and in a more sustainable way, the latest meeting of Rochdale council’s cabinet heard.
Due to the Northern Gateway being located in close proximity to the busiest commuter routes on the M60 between Rochdale and Bury, the area experiences car-dominated commuter patterns.
According to the Northern Gateway Transport Framework, at present, the largely undeveloped nature of the site means it is not well-served by public transport. Active travel is also thought to be challenging due to the area’s rural nature as well as having a lack of safe infrastructure, challenging topography and links cut by major roads, rivers and railways.
The transport strategy is split into short-term (within five years), medium-term (five to 20 years) and long-term (over 20 years). The short term will involve quick fixes such as bus routes and walking pathways established into the Northern Gateway site.
Identifying the initial reliance on car trips for commuters, capacity improvements to the Pilsworth Road/Moss Hall Road Junction (north) and M66 junction 3 are planned.
In the medium term there will be a move away from car usage, with high-quality east-west cycle routes to be provided – linking with homes and longer distance routes across Atom Valley.
A new travel hub and a push towards the use of increased walking, wheeling and cycling for a range of trip purposes, such as education and leisure trips to nearby green spaces like Heaton Park.
The connections across the Atom Valley area would be established through a new Metrolink tram extension to Middleton and further afield after two decades of development.
A tram-train spur from Northern Gateway has also been touted.
This public transport infrastructure would then be complemented by the full integration of walking, wheeling and cycling with the wider Bee Active Network.
Council papers read: “The Northern Gateway represents an opportunity for the whole city-region to bring forward development at a scale which can drive the transformational change we want to see across the conurbation.
“This Northern Gateway Transport Framework provides a clear and ambitious vision for supporting this in a sustainable way, which will benefit residents and businesses.
“The successful realisation of this vision now depends on a focussed effort to refine the programme and delivery arrangements.”
Rochdale’s town hall chiefs officially endorsed the Northern Gateway Transport Framework and the social value plan at their latest meeting at Number One Riverside building on November 25.
