Quick Update: Bee Network Committee Advances Strides in 'Swift Transport' Development
Greater Manchester's transportation landscape is set for a significant transformation, as the Bee Network Committee has given the green light to plans for expanding the region's tram and train network.
The expansion, financed by local government initiatives such as the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), aims to accommodate continued growth and provide more tram, bus, and train routes. The strategic planning and funding for these developments are the responsibility of these public bodies.
One of the key projects is the completion of the Metrolink Airport Line's 'Western Leg', for which work on the Strategic Outline Case will commence this year. This extension is expected to link every borough in Greater Manchester to the Metrolink network, marking a long-term expansion of the Bee Network.
The Bee Network also plans to develop a pipeline of both tram and tram-train new lines and extensions. This includes potential tram-train connections to Stockport, Altrincham, and the Mid-Cheshire Line. The finalising of the Strategic Outline Case for extending Metrolink to Stockport from East Didsbury is expected this autumn.
In the city centre, the Bee Network is planning underground infrastructure to further improve connectivity. Construction for tram-train projects, including connections to Hazel Grove, Tameside via Denton and Reddish, and Manchester Airport, is scheduled to begin in 2030.
The mayor and local council leaders have pledged to have 90% of people in the city-region within a five-minute walk of a bus or tram that comes at least every 30 minutes by 2030. This ambitious goal underscores the commitment to making Greater Manchester a more connected and accessible city-region.
The plans were discussed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and £6m funding has been allocated for advancing planning work on tram and tram-train projects. The Bee Network Committee will conduct further work in 2025 on Middleton & the Northern Gateway and Trafford Waters, Port Salford & the Western Gateway.
On a celebratory note, the fourth annual CiTTi Awards, an unmissable event for the UK's transportation sector, will recognise achievements and innovations in sustainable transport planning on 25 November 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. The date for the CiTTi Awards in 2025 is 25 November.
With these developments, Greater Manchester is poised to become a model of sustainable, accessible, and integrated urban transportation. The future of travel in the region is looking bright and connected.
