Burnham progresses rail plan to remove ‘brake’ on growth
Transport for Greater Manchester has fleshed out plans to incorporate 96 train stations into the widening network, a move that could increase passenger numbers by 1.3m a year.
TfGM has released a list of 64 rail stations in Greater Manchester and beyond that are to be brought into the Bee Network by 2028. Another 32 will join by 2030.
Scroll down for the full list of stations
A three-phase strategy to bring eight commuter lines into the transport network will create accessible travel hub stations, implement tap-in tap-out ticketing capability, introduce integrated fares, and a branded trains trial.
The process will begin in 2026 with the integration of the Manchester to Glossop and Stalybridge connection.
These eight lines will cover 64 stations and are expected to boost rail passenger numbers and could take up to 7m cars off Greater Manchester’s roads, saving around 700 tonnes of carbon a year.
Under current plans, a further 32 stations would join the Bee Network by 2030.
Credit: via TfGM
Plans to unlock major regeneration sites with residential potential in the region are also being pursued by focusing on land surrounding stations. The aim is to provide residents with efficient access to all corners of Greater Manchester.
Current thinking targets the delivery of 750 homes near stations by 2028.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has long touted a ‘London-style’ transport network and the full integration of buses into the Bee Network was completed in early January.
In addition, Greater Manchester’s first new rail station in 25 years at Golbourne has now been green-lit by the Department for Transport, meaning the £32m project will proceed, and TfGM, GMCA, and Wigan Council may now develop a business case and detailed design proposals.
Subject to consent, work could begin on Greater Manchester’s first new station in 30 years by 2026 with completion expected by 2027.
Andy Burnham said: “Our rail system today is acting as a brake on growth and, as the UK’s fastest growing city-region, Greater Manchester deserves better.
“We need a railway that is reliable and fully integrated with the rest of the Bee Network to drive growth and deliver new homes with public transport connections on the doorstep.”
He continued: “Our plan puts passengers first by delivering a simplified, joined-up public transport network with better services, stations, and overall experience.
“Only by making travel by train more reliable, simpler, flexible, and accessible to everyone, will we convince more people to leave the car at home and make the switch to the Bee Network.”
The second phase of plans, to commence by December 2027, will be defined by the creation of an international travel hub at Manchester Airport and the folding of the Manchester Piccadilly to Airport services, and services to Alderley Edge and Buxton via Stockport into the Bee Network.
Phase three in 2028 would see services on the Rochdale, Wigan via Atherton, Wigan via Bolton, and Wigan via Golborne lines join the network.
To fully realise these transport plans, reform and wider devolution are needed. The Rail Reform Bill and English Devolution White Paper would provide the city-region with the power and independence to do so.
This is fantastic and long overdue. Only in the UK in a major city would you have a station like Eccles 5 minutes and 1 stop away from the city center only serviced by one train an hour.
By Bob
It’s a start in the right direction.
The trains have got to improve if public transport in GM is to ever do well (in the whole of the UK outside of London for that matter)
At the moment, personal cars are a million miles in front in terms of reliability and cost; and the answer isn’t to make driving a car more expensive!
By It's about reliability and affordability.
I admire and support the ambition here, but a couple of points. First, the map implies that networks to the north and south of Manchester are linked but nothing could be further form the truth – there is one slow train an hour. Manchester desperately needs a plan to properly link its rail neworks. Secondly, Rose Hill and the Hyde Loop are in phase 1. This currently has hourly gaps throughout the day, no evening service and no Sunday service. It would be a huge embarasment to the Bee Network in its current form. A regular 2tph throughout the day and late evening and on Sundays is essential of it is to play a transportation role. Sunday is as busy as any other day now, and many people want to get to the regional centre for work and leisure.
By Pete
What happens if trains go out of GM boundaries? How will that work?
By Elephant
Seems odd that stations outside of GM are being prioritised ahead of Rochdale and the rest of the Calder Valley line, especially when one of the objectives is residential growth in close proximity to the stations and the Rochdale have been pushing residential development hard in close proximity of Mills Hill, Castleton, Rochdale, Smithybridge and Littleborough stations for a number of years https://www.investinrochdale.co.uk/news/post/thousands-of-new-homes-on-track-as-part-of-rail-regeneration#:~:text=An%20ambitious%20plan%20to%20create%20over%207%2C000%20new,corridor%20has%20been%20unveiled%20by%20Rochdale%20Borough%20Council.
By Rochdale Lad
Excellent. Crack on with it
By Anonymous
@Pete – Agreed! I use the Rose Hill Marple line for weekday commuting, which is a busy but very poorly served route (even when running on time!). 2 carriages, once an hour at peak time is not sufficient. Really hoping that this move will mean better train stock and a much improved service that can also be used at the weekends!
By Anonymous
Not sure why Reddish North and South have been given the same -low- priority when one is a busy commuter route and the other is only served by 1 train a week.
By Anonymous
Rochdale Lad, I think it’s its because Rochdale station has a 3rd platform with a turn-back, so they can run Victoria-Rochdale at a higher frequency than Victoria-Littleborough (Bradford)
By Rich X
Finally more overground / S-Bahn style services for the UK. Hopefully other cities follow on after this
By Quail
Excellent idea greatly needed making travel easier
By H Brooks
I think changing the parochial mentality of people in the towns around Manchester, is going to be a job of work. This is a start, but the fact that there is only one train a week from a station in Reddish,speaks volumes. A place with an equivalent population in London, would have one train every three minutes. Reddish should be an obvious place for Central Manchester commuters to live, it is close to Manchester and part of booming Stockport, and yet it feels detached from both. Eccles is another example, close to Manchester, and part of booming Salford, with one train an hour? This is beyond ridiculous. There are lots of London analogies, within these plans, this to me is more based on Berlin, even the yellow livery is similar, and that is a far better city to ape than London, in my view. Unlike Berlin sadly, we don’t yet have an Underground.
By Elephant
More power to Mr Burnham to rescue the Rose Hill service from perpetual Cinderella status. Frequent trains please, with evening service too. The line was experiencing fantastic passenger growth which was choked off by Covid and now Northerns wretched management. There is hope!
By BellagioMarple