Rochdale

How the public transport investment would affect Rochdale

A new Metrolink extension would bring trams into the heart of Rochdale Town Centre, connecting residents to all stops across the network. As well as Metrolink extensions, bus, rail and train services would be improved and new Park and Ride facilities would be developed.

Metrolink

TIF proposals would deliver the following:

Metrolink would be extended down Drake Street to a new interchange in Rochdale town centre.
a new Metrolink stop would be built at Kingsway Business Park, between Shaw and Rochdale
extensions would be built to Oldham town centre and Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester Airport and East Didsbury, and funding has been earmarked for a potential line to the Trafford Centre via Trafford Park
there would be a major expansion of Metrolink across Greater Manchester with the capacity to carry an extra 30,000 passengers in each of the morning and evening peak periods
Metrolink would get 20 miles of additional track, 62 new trams and 41 new stops equipped with new ticket machines for Smartcard ticketing as well as debit and credit cards

Bus improvements

The bus network would also be enhanced, examples include:

The Rochdale–Rochdale Infirmary–Syke service would run every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes (every 30 minutes on Sundays and in the evenings).
the existing Langley – Middleton – Harpurhey - Manchester service to be increased in frequency to operate every 7/8 minutes, Monday to Saturday daytime, every 30 minutes in the evenings and every 20 minutes on Sundays and extended to operate across Manchester City Centre to the University, MRI, the new Children’s Hospital and Chorlton
the existing Norden – Heywood – Rhodes – Manchester service increased to operate every 20 minutes in the weekday peaks and every 30 minutes off peak, with a new hourly evening and Sunday service introduced
the Rochdale–Sudden–Heywood–Bury service would run every seven to eight minutes during the day Monday to Saturday (every 30 minutes in the evenings)

180 Yellow School Buses would be introduced across Greater Manchester providing customised services to schools, with seats allocated to pupils and drivers dedicated to the service.

These are some examples of proposed bus service improvements, with Greater Manchester seeing an overall increase of 10% to bus services with more services starting earlier, running later in the evening and at weekends.

Rail improvements

There would be more seats on services running through Rochdale district at peak times, with extra carriages on trains running through Rochdale, Mills Hill, Castleton and Smithy Bridge stations to ease overcrowding.

Rochdale, Castleton, Littleborough, and Smithy Bridge stations would all be enhanced, and a study would be carried out into the feasibility of adding a rail station at Slattocks, between Castleton and Mills Hill.

The TIF package would also fund a study into the options for reducing congestion between Rawtenstall, Ramsbottom, Heywood and Bury, which includes developing the East Lancashire Railway and extending it from Heywood to Castleton. Up to £25 million would be available to develop these options through re-allocated Local Transport Plan (LTP) funds that might have been invested elsewhere without TIF.

There would be additional rail carriages for services across Greater Manchester with capacity for an additional 2,950 passengers in the three hour morning peak period. This is as well as the additional capacity for 4,100 passengers in the three hour morning peak, which would be funded by the government without TIF approval.

Park and Ride

The TIF proposals would double the existing number of Park and Ride spaces serving Greater Manchester. Money has already been dedicated to this and positive feedback in the recent consultations has resulted in additional funds being set aside in re-allocated Local Transport Plan budgets for further sites across the region – funds that might have been invested elsewhere without TIF.

New Park and Ride facilities would be provided at Rochdale and Mills Hill stations.

Cycling

Improvements for cyclists with 125 miles of cycle routes and cycle parking across Greater Manchester and cycle hire schemes in Manchester and Stockport. Cycle routes planned for Rochdale include:

a new, safer, cycle route between Middleton and Manchester city centre

Improvements for passengers

Further passenger improvements would include:

a 20% reduction on public transport fares at peak times for low paid workers (statutory minimum wage)
better and more timely travel information via real-time electronic displays and improved safety and security with CCTV, help points and better lighting at stops and stations
an integrated ticketing and simplified fare structure using a new ‘Smartcard ticket’ would allow prepayment of fares for travel on trains, trams and buses

80% of the public transport improvements would be in place across Greater Manchester with a significant improvement in public transport in Rochdale, before the peak-time congestion charge would begin in summer 2013.