Funding confirmed for Metrolink extensions ….
The Government has just approved £121m for two more Metrolink extensions.
The proposed 4.5km Chorlton to East Didsbury extension, on a former railway line, will include five new stops connecting Chorlton with Withington, West Didsbury, Burton Road Didsbury Village and East Didsbury.
The Ashton extension will see 3.9 km of new track laid and four new stops, connecting the town centres of Droylsden and Ashton.
The funding will also pay for 6 extra trams to be added to the Metrolink fleet and two new park-and-ride sites at Ashton Moss and Ashton West.
The new extensions are in addition to work currently underway to expand existing lines into Oldham, Rochdale and Chorlton.
Main construction works on the two extensions will begin early next year, with the East Didsbury line ready for service in summer 2013 and the Ashton line ready for service in winter 2013/14.
The Metrolink extensions to Wythenshawe and Manchester Airport have also been given £26m of funding from the Greater Manchester Transport Fund. That line should open in 2016.
Happening at last!
3 comments 
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March 9th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
When the congestion charge was voted down by a 4-1 majority, I thought that was the end of Metro extensions for the foreeable future. How wrong I was.
It makes you wonder what all the income from the Congestion Charge would have been spent on!
March 10th, 2010 at 10:32 am
Does anyone know how they are planning to get between the Wilmslow Road Bridge and School Lane in Didsbury?
There’s a building and a car park where the railway originally was.
March 14th, 2010 at 8:40 pm
Jay,
The line will pass through a cut-and-cover tunnel between Wilmslow Road and School Lane. The following is from the LRTA website: West Didsbury stop will be immediately after the line crosses under the Palatine Road/Lapwing Lane junction, it will have two single face platforms. There will be a ramp and steps from the pavement down to the inbound platform. Steps and a lift will connect the outbound platform to pavement level. Two short ramps and a track crossing at the southern end of the stop will connect inbound and outbound platforms. As well as serving the local residential area it will allow passengers to interchange between buses and trams.
The line crosses under Elm Road a short distance west of its junction with Lapwing Lane, then under Parkfield Road South about 75 metres west of Wilmslow Road. After crossing under Wilmslow Road, near the junction with Moorland Road, the line passes through a cut and cover tunnel — built as part of the Didsbury Station development — and crosses under School Lane, just to the east of the junction with William Street.
Didsbury Village stop will be on the south side of School lane. An access point on School Lane, opposite Beaver Road, with a ramped pathway down to track level and a second access point from the adjacent footpath will connect to the outbound platform and a pedestrian track crossing at the south–eastern end of the stop; where there will be a third access point from Olive Shapley Avenue. A short ramp from the crossing will connect to the inbound platform. There will be a connection to the Trans–Pennine Trail and Didsbury Stockport Cycle Path.