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Transport Innovation Fund
 

Press Releases

18 September 2008

Bus boost for Stockport - details released

New details have been released about how Stockport bus services would improve if the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) proposals go ahead.

The proposals include investment of up to £3 billion in Greater Manchester’s transport network and part of this would go on enhancing bus services to, from and around the town.

This would mean extra services at peak times into local town centres and Manchester city centre and more services operating during the early morning, the evenings and on Sundays.

Improvements would be funded in part by a weekday, peak time-only congestion charge to be introduced in 2013 at the earliest. At least 80 per cent of the public transport solutions will be in place before a charge is introduced.

For example services from Marple Road to Stockport will run every seven to eight minutes during the day. See the Notes to Editors section below for comprehensive information about a range of services.

Improved bus services will be in addition to improvements to the rail network. Commuter routes through Stockport are among the busiest in the North West and extra carriages will be provided to allow more people to access services comfortably.

Some Manchester to Hazel Grove trains will be extended to New Mills Newtown and all Manchester to Sheffield services will stop at Hazel Grove.

Services to New Mills Central on the Marple to Manchester line will run more often in peak periods. The service between Manchester Piccadilly and Marple via Bredbury would run every quarter of an hour under the proposals.

Cycling is also a key part of the proposals. Stockport station is expected to generate the largest increase in cycling under TIF as the scheme to improve the town centre delivers major improvements in facilities for cyclists. Improvements around Hazel Grove station will link the station to the cycle network while improvements on routes across the M60 include upgrading the off-road link in Reddish Vale between Denton and Reddish.

Proposed improvements across Greater Manchester are almost all funded by a Government grant of £1.5 billion and borrowings of £1.2 billion which both depend on congestion charging being introduced. Other contributions will bring in a further £0.1 billion, plus investment in rail from the Department for Transport.

Lord Peter Smith, Leader of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities, said: “The TIF proposals promise considerable public transport benefits for Stockport, including new and upgraded bus services. I’d encourage everyone in the area to look at the details of what the proposals would mean for them.”

Anyone who has not yet given their views on the proposals is encouraged to do so before October 10 - the end of the consultation. To find out how to take part in the consultation visit www.gmfuturetransport.com.

A postal referendum on the final proposals, with residents of all 10 districts in Greater Manchester voting, will be held in December.

 

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Notes to Editors

Examples of how this could change buses in the district are:

 

  • The TIF package will provide a 191 service every 20 minutes in the daytime from Manchester Road to Manchester, 3 buses an hour will run via the Hospitals, and an additional four buses an hour will run as an improved 173 service via Levenshulme and Ardwick. The 192 service will run more buses to Stockport College.
  • Three buses an hour will run on the 130 and 157 services from Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme to Manchester, and together they will provide a co-ordinated daytime service every 10 minutes. Links to education at Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College will be improved on these services and on the 307/9 services from Stockport and Cheadle.
  • In Heald Green service 312 will be doubled to run every 30 minutes in the daytime; while St Anne’s Road will have new links, every 30 minutes in the daytime, to Manchester Airport, Didsbury and Manchester.
  • For Edgeley and Cheadle Hulme, the existing 368 services to Wythenshawe Hospital and 369 services to Manchester Airport will both run every 20 minutes in the daytime, while the existing 11 service to Wythenshawe and Wythenshawe Hospital will operate from Stockport and Gatley every 20 minutes, combined with improved 20 minute daytime service 371 to Altrincham to maintain a 10 minute service between Stockport and Gatley.
  • For Bramhall and Woodford, the 374 service will run every 20 minutes in the daytime and will combine with the 378 to give a service along Bramhall Lane every 10 minutes. The 372 service for Woodsmoor and North Park Road will run every half hour, while the 157 will give three buses an hour to Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle and Manchester. The 307 service will run every 30 minutes and serve more roads in the Dairyground estate, while Service 390 will run every hour with reduced trip times to Stockport.
  • Torkington will have an improved hourly service while the 394 will be rerouted via Andrew Lane and extended to Stockport to benefit High Lane. Employees on Newby Road will be served by a new 30 minute service from Hazel Grove, Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme and Cheadle. The 317 service will link Stockport and Offerton to Stepping Hill Hospital with a new extension to Newby Road.
  • The 375 service from Mellor and Hawk Green to Marple Centre and Marple and Rose Hill Stations will run two buses an hour, as will the 358 service from Hayfield via Strines to Marple and Stockport.
  • Marple Road to Stockport services will run every 7/8 minutes, while Cherry Tree, Greave, The Ridgway, George Lane and Lower Bredbury will all benefit from a service every 30 minutes in the daytime, providing links to local shops, employment and Stockport.
  • The 322 and 327 services for Brinnington Road, Haughton Green and Denton will both run every 30 minutes during the daytime.
  • For Reddish and the Heatons the 203 service to Stockport and Manchester will run eight buses an hour in the daytime, and the 173 service will run every 15 minutes. Heaton Norris will benefit from services every 20 minutes on the 22 service, as well as the 197 Manchester service being diverted via Heaton Road and Parsonage Road. A half-hourly service will provide links to Didsbury and Northenden, while Craig Road will also get a half-hourly service.