New train station for Cheadle 'tantalisingly close' as plans set for final government sign off

The prospect of Cheadle having its own railway station for the first time since the mid-1960s is now said to be ‘tantalisingly close’. The £9m project is the largest of three schemes bankrolled by the government’s Town’s Fund - a key plank of its flagship ‘Levelling Up’ agenda.

The proposed new stop would be on the Chester to Manchester (Mid Cheshire) line next to the Alexandra Hospital, just 100m north of Cheadle High Street. A related £1m package of walking and cycling improvements would provide access to the station and High Street and other routes, while a £4m eco-business park makes up the rest of the £14m Towns Fund schemes.

Efforts to deliver the station have been driven by a dedicated board including Mary Robinson, Conservative MP for Cheadle and town hall economy chief Councillor David Meller.

READ MORE : Full steam ahead for new Cheadle train station plans after £13.9m 'Towns Fund' deal

But there is still one last hurdle to clear - the government must approve a full business case for the project. Now Stockport council’s cabinet has agreed to sign off and submit the documents to ministers for the final sign off.

A decision could be made later this year, with construction getting under way as early as 2024. Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday night, Coun Meller said making the station a reality was now ‘tantalisingly close’.

He said: “I’m very, very, very hopeful to suggest that we will be successful. We have pretty much got a partial green light but we need a full green light now. And I’m fully expecting the government to give us that unless something dramatically changes. But I don’t want to put my neck on the line too much at this stage.

“To get this over the line would be a tremendous achievement.”

Co