A MULTI-BILLION pound rail project which would see Mossley’s railway station moved is to be subject to a public inquiry.
The Transpennine Route Upgrade, which will see the line between Manchester and York electrified, has been met with opposition in the Tameside town.
Moving to roughly where green gates stand on Manchester Road, the new facility will feature a footbridge and lifts, making both platforms accessible.
It will also see an extended area that gives space for longer services to use the station, which would allow more seats.
Other work in Mossley will pay attention to the track through the stretch known as Mossley Cottages, behind properties on Manchester Road close to the station as it is now, which will still see gantries hammered in despite their proximity to carry overhead line equipment.
It will be a ‘neutral section’ meaning essentially, trains will coast from the last one, just before the buildings’ start, to the new station and the track will be moved slightly away from the homes, businesses and pub.
The existing car park is also set to stay and may be extended to the new building, which is needed to accommodate longer trains and make both sides accessible – it will also have a toilet, which the current one does not.
Now Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander has decided a public inquiry into the Transport and Works Act Order applied for the Stalybridge to Diggle stretch will take place.
And those wishing to make their representations have been given until February 23 to make their submission.
A letter from the Transport Infrastructure Planning Unit of the Department for Transport states: “The Secretary of State has decided to hold a public local Inquiry into this application.
“The first stage in the inquiry process is for participants to prepare a “Statement of Case.”
“If you (or a representative on your behalf) intend to present oral evidence to the Inquiry, the Secretary of State requires you to provide a Statement of Case to the Transport Infrastructure Planning Unit no later than 23 February 2026.
“The Statement of Case must be accompanied by a list of any documents to which you intend to refer in your evidence and copies of those documents (or relevant extracts from them).
“We will write again to those intending to give oral evidence.”
A costing document revealed the total of electrifying and updating the stretch of track between Stalybridge and Diggle as almost £225 million.
Under the order, work will take place on several bridges in Stalybridge and Mossley.
Stalybridge and Scout Tunnels will see the track lowered so larger freight trains and equipment needed can go under them.
While bridges at Heyrod Hall, Spring Bank Lane in Heyrod and Roughtown Road in Mossley also need work.
Heyrod Hall’s arch will be replaced, with the private road over it being temporarily closed, while Spring Bank Lane will see its walls raised and new coping stones installed, while the track is lowered.
A planning application to Tameside Council has been lodged to make the existing wall directly above the track about 50 centimetres higher for safety reasons.
Michael Gradwell, town planning manager at Network Rail, explained why it is felt the work will not come under the major category.
In a letter, he states: “As discussed with Historic England and Tameside Council, the extent of works proposed to the bridge has been reduced as far as possible during design development, principally by lowering the track and thereby avoiding the need to reconstruct the bridge in order to achieve the clearance necessary to accommodate trains and overhead line equipment.
“The proposed works are required to bring the heights of the parapets up to Network Rail’s safety standards, which will preserve the safety of pedestrians using the footpath across the bridge following the electrification of the railway line.
“They have been designed to minimise impact on the significance of the listed structure as far as possible.”