After little wimpers and bigger protests, broken promises and sudden U-turns, the vast majority of the much needed "Big Bang" expansion of Manchester Metrolink light rail system is back on track!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/8047020.stm
The surprise agreement yesterday between all ten authorities of the Greater Manchester conurbation, signals the release of locally raised taxes to fund the shortfall needed for the full "Big Bang" network expansion.
Central Government had finally approved a partial expansion of Britains first modern light rail service after a much publised backlash. Whitehall had refused to fund new tram schemes in Leeds, Merseyside http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/4481146.stmand Bristol and stepped back from expansions to Midland Metro and Nottingham's NET.
Since then the Scottish government has marched ahead with funding new trams for Edinburgh and even Nottingham squeezed through a minor extension. Then in 2006 Manchester transit authority GMPTE winkled a reprieve from Douglas Alexander (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/5152948.stm) who announced a paired down expansion of the system would get the original money they'd been promised but this would not achive a route to Manchester Airport or certain key town centre routes.
Work on the "Little Bang" has now started (clearance has begun on the long closed heavy rail route to Chorlton, work is progressing behind Piccadilly Station on the Droylesden route with several road closures and traffic diversions in place for the build and the commuter line between Manchester, Oldham and Rochdale will close to heavy rail in October to allow conversion to light rail. A tiny spur to the new media:city site is also under construction).
But not being able to penetrate the town centres of Oldham and Rochdale or build the relatively long route through south Manchesater to the Airport, or to fund a second city centre crossing would have left the network feeling clipped at the wings.
GMPTE therefore gave support in 2008 to a scheme called TIF which could have released up to £3billion for transport improvements but after a local referendum in the city region roundly rejected Congestion Charging (which would have paid for some of the tram expansion), it looked like all bets were off and the system would stay half finished.
Yesterdays surprise agreement between all ten metropolitain boroughs (under Labour, Conservative, Lib Dem and No Overal Control) is a first for UK transport investment and a relatively unknown phenomenon in British politics. A tiny increase of around £2 per year per Council Tax bill will cover the shortfall between the "Little Bang" already underway and the full "Big Bang" (plus a couple of road bypass building schemes and a guided bus route).
Here is a map of what the eventual Metrolink system should look like:
Bravo to all involved form all political parties and especially the hardwork of the ever diplomatic GMPTE. They have achieved more for their area than has been possible in any other region outside London for decades.
We should all be rightly proud of them and wish full speed to it's construction.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/8047020.stm
The surprise agreement yesterday between all ten authorities of the Greater Manchester conurbation, signals the release of locally raised taxes to fund the shortfall needed for the full "Big Bang" network expansion.
Central Government had finally approved a partial expansion of Britains first modern light rail service after a much publised backlash. Whitehall had refused to fund new tram schemes in Leeds, Merseyside http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/4481146.stmand Bristol and stepped back from expansions to Midland Metro and Nottingham's NET.
Since then the Scottish government has marched ahead with funding new trams for Edinburgh and even Nottingham squeezed through a minor extension. Then in 2006 Manchester transit authority GMPTE winkled a reprieve from Douglas Alexander (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/5152948.stm) who announced a paired down expansion of the system would get the original money they'd been promised but this would not achive a route to Manchester Airport or certain key town centre routes.
Work on the "Little Bang" has now started (clearance has begun on the long closed heavy rail route to Chorlton, work is progressing behind Piccadilly Station on the Droylesden route with several road closures and traffic diversions in place for the build and the commuter line between Manchester, Oldham and Rochdale will close to heavy rail in October to allow conversion to light rail. A tiny spur to the new media:city site is also under construction).
But not being able to penetrate the town centres of Oldham and Rochdale or build the relatively long route through south Manchesater to the Airport, or to fund a second city centre crossing would have left the network feeling clipped at the wings.
GMPTE therefore gave support in 2008 to a scheme called TIF which could have released up to £3billion for transport improvements but after a local referendum in the city region roundly rejected Congestion Charging (which would have paid for some of the tram expansion), it looked like all bets were off and the system would stay half finished.
Yesterdays surprise agreement between all ten metropolitain boroughs (under Labour, Conservative, Lib Dem and No Overal Control) is a first for UK transport investment and a relatively unknown phenomenon in British politics. A tiny increase of around £2 per year per Council Tax bill will cover the shortfall between the "Little Bang" already underway and the full "Big Bang" (plus a couple of road bypass building schemes and a guided bus route).
Here is a map of what the eventual Metrolink system should look like:
Bravo to all involved form all political parties and especially the hardwork of the ever diplomatic GMPTE. They have achieved more for their area than has been possible in any other region outside London for decades.
We should all be rightly proud of them and wish full speed to it's construction.
All credit to Manchester , shame this does not happen in Sheffield as many want the tram exstended
we want our tram exstended 
