£2.5BILLION CASH BOOST SET TO DELIVER NEW TRAM STOPS, MORE ELECTRIC BUSES, TRAM-TRAINS AND NEW INTERCHANGES 16:30, 04 Jun 2025 HELLO, The Metrolink is coming to Stockport. Yes really.

Stopfordians have been banging on about this for years and although various promises were made, it was never a sure fire thing. But now it’s actually happening thanks to a bumper transport

deal for Greater Manchester worth £2.5bn over the next seven years. It’s part and parcel of a package that will include new tram stops in Manchester, Bury and Oldham, 1,000 more electric Bee

buses, tram-trains and new interchanges. Three stops on existing tram lines at Sandhills in north Manchester; Elton Reservoir in Bury; and Cop Road in Oldham are among the details. And

public transport system by 2030. It’s a tall order, but he seems confident it’s a goal the region can hit given this ‘major’ boost from central government. “With a pipeline of major

transport projects better connecting our towns and cities, and local rail lines brought into the Bee Network, our communities will be the first outside London to be served by fully joined-up

bike, bus, tram and train travel,” he enthused. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says £2.5bn to transform public transport in Greater Manchester is ‘putting the power back in Greater

Manchester’s hands’. That piles the pressure on Andy Burnham - but it’s what he’s been campaigning for. "All of this will create jobs. It will improve people’s commutes. It will mean

bigger labour markets for employers and more opportunity for workers. And it will mean a better connected city for you to live, work in and visit,” Sir Keir says in an exclusive piece for

the _Manchester Evening News._ So what does this all mean for Greater Mancunians? Ethan has been telling me why this is such a ‘gamechanging’ moment for the Bee Network. WHY IS THIS SO

EXCITING FOR STOPFORDIANS? “If you look at Cornbrook - nobody lived there in the 1990s, then they put a tram stop in there and in the last 15 years we’ve started seeing housing developments

opening up. “Stockport has done it the other way around. There’s been a lot of development recently. “But I think Stockport will become more metropolitan. It solidifies this idea that

Greater Manchester wants new housing around major transport hubs.” WHERE WILL IT STOP? “It will be an extension of the East Didsbury line and looks likely to go to the new interchange. “We

don’t know when it will happen but the money covers 2027/2032.” AND WHEN WILL IT HAPPEN? “Andy Burnham will want building work to start by the end of his mayoral term. But there has been a

big delay due to Labour’s review. So we’ll see if that delays building work. “Transport for Greater Manchester is still working out the finer details but they are a lot further on with plans

for Stockport because they have been working on this for years.” Mr Burnham told our Politics Editor Joseph Timan today: "We're going to have to stack up the business case,

we're going to still have to get that through the Treasury, the precise funding package. "I would be disappointed if we do not have building work starting let's say within the

Parliament, maybe within the mayoral term, but certainly within the Parliament, I would want to see work starting on that tram extension to Stockport." More on where the tram might

stop here. WHAT ABOUT THE RAILWAYS? It seems plans for a new railway line between Manchester and Liverpool are 'set to go ahead'. But Chancellor Rachel Reeves refused to commit to

the project when she visited Rochdale this morning. Instead she promised there is ‘more to come’ in the spending review next week. The £2.5bn financial package for transport announced today

was first promised by ex-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to replace the northern leg of HS2 in late 2023. But it was placed under review shortly after Labour came to power last summer. It’s

understood local leaders were concerned the cash could have been cut by the Chancellor. So Mr Burnham was full of beans when he welcomed Ms Reeves to Rochdale and heralded what could be

‘Greater Manchester's best decade since the Victorian era’. You can read Jo’s piece on the Chancellor’s announcement here. WEATHER THURSDAY: Heavy rain changing to sunny intervals in

the afternoon. 17C. ROADS: A572 St Helens Road southbound, Leigh, closed due to roadworks from A578 Twist Lane to Bonnywell Road. Until June 30. A6 Chapel Street westbound, Salford, closed

due to long-term roadworks from A6041 Blackfriars Road to A34 New Bailey Street. Until January 19. WORTH A READ You can’t avoid symbols of the worker bee in Manchester. From tattoos to tea

towels, the image is used all over the place. Article continues below A symbol of the city for 150 years, Manchester rallied around the bee in the wake of the 2017 Arena attack. But new

research suggests bombing survivors are 'uncomfortable' with how widespread its use is. Ethan Davies asks, does Manchester use the bee too much?