Rochdale and Oldham council leaders pressing for Piccadilly tram

Town Centre Metrolink stop

Rochdale and Oldham councils have joined forces to campaign for a direct tram link to Manchester's Piccadilly station.

Currently trams from Rochdale stop at Manchester's Exchange Square. They will eventually go on to East Didsbury when the second city crossing is completed early next year.

As Rochdale Online reported last week, despite an appeal by Councillor Phil Burke at the recent TfGM meeting for the Rochdale/Oldham Metrolink line to go to Piccadilly, Rochdale passengers still won't have a direct link to Piccadilly station.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/106353/councillor-phil-burke-appeals-for-rochdale-oldham-metrolink-line-to-go-to-piccadilly

Now Rochdale Borough Council leader Richard Farnell and Oldham Borough Council leader Jean Stretton are demanding some trams from the two towns should go to Piccadilly - the region's most important transport link to the rest of the country.

Councillor Farnell said: "There are a lot of warm words throughout Greater Manchester in support of Rochdale and Oldham's demands for more investment in our areas to promote growth and redress the economic imbalance that exists across Greater Manchester. This is one of the first opportunities to match those words with deeds. And TfGM has failed.

"We should link Oldham and Rochdale with a direct tram route to the most important transport hub in the city region. This will give us an important edge and incentive for businesses to invest here.

"Transport chiefs have argued there isn't the demand compared to other areas - but that's precisely the point we are making.

"Without investment in good transport links we will never be able to match the demand from more prosperous areas such as Bury, Media City and south Manchester, who all have a direct tram to Piccadilly. It means we will always be back of queue when decisions like these are made, compounding our economic woes.

"The short-sighted decision-making model used by transport bosses is all wrong. We should be planning for future growth and prioritise areas like Oldham and Rochdale to help accelerate economic activity where it is needed most.

"Without the direct link it will make the prospect of future growth so much harder. In short we have the confidence to invest in the future prospects for Rochdale and Oldham more than other more prosperous areas. But it will mean giving our area priority over more prosperous areas for once. What's wrong with that?"

Councillors Farnell and Stretton are to have talks with Greater Manchester's interim mayor Tony Lloyd and TfGM chief Andrew Fender to press the case.