Ministers will not re-route trams

Metrolink Tram

Ministers will not intervene to bring trams into the town centre along Drake Street after residents voted no to congestion charging, Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon has revealed.
But Metrolink is still coming to Rochdale as the money had already been secured to transform the loopline through Oldham from train tracks to tram lines.

Commuters to Manchester will eventually be able to catch a tram from Rochdale into the city once the line is finally replaced. It is hoped work will begin later this year.

Mr Hoon said the people of Greater Manchester had spoken and any further calls for the tram to be extended should be decided locally.

Mr Hoon added: “The verdict could not have been clearer — I am not going to argue with that.

“There are other funds available to regions for them to identify their priorities as far as their future transport requirements are concerned, but that will be a matter for local areas to decide.

“The scheme was voted down and it will not be coming back.”

Some of the borough’s regeneration plans were centred on the Metrolink expansion which was hailed as heralding an economic boom.

Apart from the Metrolink loop would have run along Drake Street into the town centre, with a tram stop at the new passenger transport interchange, which is set to replace the current bus station. As part of the congestion charge plan there would have been extra train carriages, 20 per cent public transport discount for the low paid, smartcard ticketing, yellow school buses and Mills Hill train station was set for a new park-and-ride site. All of these plans are now up in the air.