It’s 'possible' Stockport and Heywood tram extensions will start building by 2028, Burnham says

Building work on Metrolink extensions to Stockport, Heywood, and Middleton could start in the next four years.

That’s according to Andy Burnham, who says getting ‘spades in the ground’ is ‘possible’ — but it depends on final sign-off from the government. While rumoured for years, the extensions to Stockport, Heywood, and Middleton have moved forward significantly in recent weeks.

That came after Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) published its draft rapid transit strategy, which identified the extensions as priorities for the city-region. Currently, business cases are being worked on to be submitted to the government for approval, which would establish how the projects would be funded.

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However, there is appetite from city-region leaders to get the extensions over the line, following the construction of the new Stockport Interchange, and upcoming ‘Atom Valley’ development, which will bring thousands of new jobs to Heywood and Middleton.

When asked if ‘we could see spades in the ground this mayoral term’ which ends in 2028 for the projects, Mr Burnham replied: “It’s possible. I hesitate because it all depends on the business case being strong enough to get through the Treasury.

“The decision is not ours, we have to get them signed off by the government. I think all of that points to a culture change over transport. Transport is the enabler for growth. It brings the growth the government says it wants — without it, you won’t get the growth.

“It’s about not letting these things drag on and making quick decisions. If you have got the clarity about, let’s say, Metrolink coming to Stockport, you can work on the business case with the