02.02.18
First piece of track laid on Metrolink’s £350m Trafford Park extension
The first piece of track was laid at Parkway Circle today as part of the extension of Manchester’s Metrolink to Trafford Park.
The event, which marked a major milestone in the £350m scheme, was witnessed by Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, leader of Trafford Council, Cllr Sean Anstee, and chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester (TGfM) committee, Cllr Andrew Fender.
The project is the first to benefit from the devolution deal signed by Greater Manchester leaders and central government in November 2014, which is expected to earn back up to £900m over 30 years.
The line will have six new tram stops, offering sustainable links to some of the area’s busiest visitor destinations.
Trams will run on a largely traffic-free, segregated route, which should mean reliable journey times during peak hours.
Mayor Andy Burnham said that improving Greater Manchester’s public transport is a top priority: “By extending Metrolink to some of the busiest visitor attractions in Greater Manchester, we can give people a real alternative to driving and help reduce traffic congestion.
“The Trafford Park Line is one of the first schemes to benefit from Greater Manchester’s devolution agreement and it is great to be here and witness this major milestone and the first piece of track being laid.
“Metrolink plays a pivotal role in connecting people to job, leisure and retail opportunities and this extension through Europe’s largest trading estate to Event City and intu Trafford Centre will only enhance this further.”
Cllr Sean Anstee, leader of Trafford Council, explained why he feels the scheme is so important: “Trafford Park and areas around the Trafford Centre are vitally important to our local economy; they provide tens of thousands of jobs, attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and help to deliver continued growth, investment and regeneration, so I can’t emphasise enough the importance of this scheme.”
Chair of the TfGM committee, Cllr Andrew Fender, added: “Following the recent major expansion of the Metrolink network and completion of the second city crossing, it's great that we have been able to maintain the momentum with building the Trafford Park line.
“It's ever more important for TfGM to provide sustainable public transport alternatives to better serve our communities now and into the future.”
Construction on the project began in late 2016 and the new line is due to open in 2020.
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