TAMESIDE leading the way in Greater Manchester’s rail revolution can help unlock the growth of the area, Mayor Andy Burnham believes.
Two lines running through the borough, between Manchester Piccadilly and Glossop and Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge, will be the first to join the Bee Network on December 13.
A third, between Manchester Piccadilly and Rose Hill which also runs through Tameside also looks like being included and documents reveal the aim is to include Denton and Mossley stations by 2030.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority paperwork also details accessibility improvements to stations.
It is hoped design work for Flowery Field and Newton for Hyde will be completed by October, with construction done by Spring 2028.
For Broadbottom and Hattersley, an expression of interest has been issued with tenders scheduled to be issued early this year for design development.
The construction target completion is Autumn 2029.
And work will be done by Transport for Greater Manchester, who say: “We’ve taken delivery away from the rail industry because they have, in the last, been too slow and have not prioritised accessibility.”
They also claimed working at the industry’s rate would mean stations would not be complete until 2080.
Tameside stations on the Glossop and Stalybridge lines – also including Guide Bridge, Godley and Ashton-under-Lyne – will see pay as you go facilities launched in December, with the aim of having it across Greater Manchester by 2030.
And Mr Burnham outlined the knock-on effect, saying at a meeting of the GMCA’s Bee Network committee: “We all know, because we all use the railways, the last decade has been pretty miserable – across the country, but particularly in the north.
“We’ve drawn a line and said, ‘Right, can we get into the business of having a big solution to what we’re all experiencing?’
“Remember, transport is a means to an end and the end is growth. Growth of people in terms of the connections they have to be able to live a good life, but also the growth of places.
“If you’ve got the right infrastructure and the right services, that growth becomes possible. If you don’t have that, you’re limiting the possibilities for people and places.
“The yellow and the bee is the symbol we’re now taking control of. It’s what should’ve been ours all along in my view – a service that works for us and works for people here.”
Tameside Council’s representative, Cllr Jacqueline Owen, replied: “In Tameside, we’re all really excited about having the development and the things that could come from using the land around our stations.
“I wanted to reiterate my plea for semi-rural communities and their transport links. I’m still fighting for that bus from Hyde to Hollingworth.”
A new Mossley station, which would be accessible from both platforms, is part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, which will see the track from Manchester Victoria to York and runs through Tameside, electrified.
And after hearing stories about how some stations do not have step-free access, and what it means for passengers, Mayor Burnham laid the blame at the Government’s door.
He added: “We’ll hopefully be able to have some improvements to the stations, We’ve all been waiting too long for improvements to stations.
“It’s ridiculous where we’re not in a position where we have simple accessibility and decent lighting and good safety features at all our stations. We’re going to get stuck in.
“It’ s a failure of the Department for Transport to prioritise the whole question of accessibility.
“To me, it’s a first order issue. If some of our residents cannot use a railway station, you fix that before you fix anything else because it’s not public transport if it’s not available to all of the public.
“About half of our stations don’t have step free access. We need to increase the urgency of the conversation around this as Bee Network Rail comes into being.
“When’s the rail industry going to prioritise accessibility? I still don’t see it. This is a battle we’re going to have to win in 2026.”
On accessibility, Cllr Owen added: “I have a disability, and I went to Broadbottom. I really struggled to get up and over to get the train.
“I could’ve gone to Glossop and back, but I shouldn’t have to do that and there are a number of stations.
“At Godley, there are 27 steps up to the station, so it’s a non-starter for me and several other people.
“I really welcome anything around disability access.”