Andy Burnham has given his strongest hint yet that the Metrolink network WILL go to Stockport.
Appearing on BBC Radio Manchester鈥檚 鈥業n The Hotseat鈥 phone-in for the first time since he was re-elected as mayor with nearly two-thirds of the vote, the Labour politician was quizzed by host Mike Sweeney on his plans to use money re-allocated from the now-cancelled HS2 railway line to Manchester.
He asked: 鈥淭here appears to be enough money heading this way from HS2 for two tram lines 鈥 where are they going to be?鈥
鈥淲e are about to say more on that,鈥 Mr Burnham replied. 鈥淲hat we have is an appraisal. There are a lot more places saying 鈥榳e need it鈥. The bottom line is a new extension in the south and one to the north of the city-region. It will also show the scoring for other [proposals].鈥
After saying more details would be revealed to the public in early June, Mr Burnham faced another question from a Stockport resident called Tom, asking about timescales 鈥榮pecifically on the new line to Stockport, not that we have had confirmation on that鈥, and the other new line mentioned by the mayor.
In answering, Mr Burnham gave his strongest hint yet that the Greater Manchester town will be connected up to the trams.
鈥淚 would like to see them built in the decade,鈥 he replied. 鈥淭he [government approval] can be done fairly soon. We do have a fairly generous capital allocation for Greater Manchester [from the government].
鈥淭he new Stockport Interchange has been built with tram capability. We have to continue extending Metrolink.鈥
Also on the programme, when probed about the possibility of a charging clean air zone being introduced, the mayor reiterated his opposition to charging motorists in the city-region.
However, he added that his office could examine the possibility of 鈥榯ime restrictions鈥 on HGVs being driven into the city centre 鈥 something he told voters he would look at during the election campaign.
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