In today’s (10th July) Greater Manchester Transport Update, it was confirmed that further rail developments are to come around the city region, bringing more public transport into the Bee Network.
As Transport for Greater Manchester works to ensure that the constantly growing city region can be served by an improved transport network, work will include the addition of eight rail routes into the Bee Network. This will allow for a more seamless travel experience, as well as new tram and train lines, and the emerging need for an underground service in the city.
The eight rail lines that will be integrated with Bee Network by 2028 will allow integrated transport all the way from the city centre to areas such as Buxton, Glossop and Wigan. The importance of this integration was emphasised by Burnham who spoke about how some of the services that are currently running on the line are carrying "a good degree of fresh air" due to the cost of getting the train into the city, and then any potential other transport costs to other destinations.
Expanding on the justification for bringing rail lines under the Bee Network, Burnham said:
“We are confident that we will deliver more passengers and we even believe we can do it for the same – if not slightly less – subsidy than is currently being given to the rail industry. So, I have pitched this to the new Prime Minister and government about how if you work through the devolved structures of England, you can get bigger benefits for existing public spending.”
When discussing the ever-growing nature of the city region, Burnham was quick to discuss the fact that before 2050, there will be a need for an underground transport service to be introduced. This comes as more and more people are being driven into the city-region and towards that integrated mass transit system, meaning that the capacity is going to run out over time.
Touching on this need, Burnham continued:
“The longer-term work we’re looking at through to 2040 and beyond very clearly suggests that we are going to run out of capacity as Greater Manchester continues to grow and remains that engine for growth. So, on the South West to Northeast Axis – which is fundamentally the existing Metrolink core, there’s a lot of work going on in terms of the potential for future underground tunnel capacity…
“We’re not talking here today about high-speed underground at Piccadilly, this is about the more local, the commuter services, and where we’re going to be running out of capacity as we move towards the centre of this century.”
Also announced in the update was the reappointment of Vernon Everitt and Dame Sarah Storey as Transport Commissioner and Active Transport Commissioner respectively, with Everitt Chairing the TFGM board.
Image credit: iStock
