Mayor eyes 2050 opening date for underground trains

Plans to create Greater Manchester's own London Underground-style transport system have been backed by mayor Bev Craig, with 2050 eyed as a potential opening date.

The scheme could cost tens of billions and take decades to build - with the need for government backing - but has been described by Craig as the "only option" for the county's future.

Transport for Greater Manchester's (TfGM) timeline for the project could see detailed plans and a business case ready by 2030, with a push to start building by around 2040 and a 2050 opening date.

Craig said: "In Greater Manchester we've started planning for what future is possible, and that means going underground."

The idea was separate from demands from city leaders in Manchester for an underground railway station at Manchester Piccadilly, which would play a part in boosting railway travel supporting the £45bn Northern Powerhouse Rail project.

But a new underground station at Piccadilly is seen as an essential "first step" ahead of wider plans for Greater Manchester, including the potential for a future underground tube network.

Bosses at TfGM have already spent more than £300,000 on early feasibility and demand studies over future options after it became a key aim of former mayor Andy Burnham.

Craig said Greater Manchester was the fastest growing city region in the country and needed "a transport network that helps us go even further, not one that holds us back".

"A new, modern underground station at Piccadilly is an essential first step in creating jobs and boosting major regeneration here," she added.

Any tunnelling for a future underground transport system would initially be focused around central Manchester, but a mix of options for how it could work are actively being looked at, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Underground options being explored for the region include a Metrolink relief tunnel going south-west to north-east aligned with the longest serving and busiest Metrolink lines - Altrincham and Bury.

A National Rail relief tunnel is also being looked at, which would go north-west to south-east - aligned with the Castlefield Corridor and Salford Crescent to Piccadilly.

The third option being looked at is for a wholly segregated underground metro system going north to south, plugging a gap in an area that currently has no tram or train lines running broadly from the Northern Gateway to the Airport via a number of hospitals, universities and other major facilities.

"An underground tube system is the only credible option for Greater Manchester going forward," said Robert Downes, regional business manager at the Federation of Small Businesses in Greater Manchester.

Manchester City Council leader Garry Bridges also supported the need for better transport options around the region to "ensure Manchester can continue to flourish".

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "Everyone across the country should have access to good public transport, which is why we are working closely with Greater Manchester to look at improving connectivity across the North.

"As part of this, we're reviewing the possibility for an underground station at Manchester Piccadilly for Northern Powerhouse Rail."

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