Greater Manchester unveils its rail vision

Greater Manchester has set out a new vision to transform its rail system over the next 30 years, which it says will benefit passengers, businesses, and freight.

‘On the Right Track for Growth: A 2050 Vision for the Future of Rail in Greater Manchester’ was unveiled at the Public Transport in North of England conference on 3 December.

It outlines a roadmap to improve, grow and transform rail, which includes the creation of new stations such as Golborne and Cheadle, ensuring half of all stations have step-free access by 2040 and the creation of a new underground station by 2050 to increase capacity and support 40,000 jobs.

Greater Manchester’s existing rail network covers over 318km, 96 stations and oversees over 40 million passenger trips into Manchester’s central stations – but it faces challenges such as limited local influence and accountability, inaccessible stations, crowded services, and issues with reliability.

Its network is predominantly made up of two tracks which means freight, local and intercity passengers are fighting for the same track and delays can be crippling.

Freight passing through not only delivers goods for local use, but also as a vital corridor, such as the transportation of goods from Derbyshire to London, or south coast ports and Scotland.

“Addressing freight constraints in and around the city region will unlock wider benefits for supply chains, construction and trade across the north and beyond,” the publication said.

It hopes to support the government’s target of a 75% increase in rail freight by 2050 to decarbonise the network.

One such successful example is the ‘Tesco train’, launched in 2024, which moves 600,000 cases of groceries from its main distribution centre in Daventry to Trafford Park. Delivering goods by rail six days a week ensures products are much closer to stores for the final mile.