Plans to extend trams all over the region do not yet include Bolton . Last week Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said that plans were in place to bring Metrolink services to Middleton, Heywood and eventually Stockport. No such commitment was made for Bolton, but the town’s representatives say that other form of public transport can be prioritised.
Bee Network committee member Cllr Sean Fielding said: “While connecting Bolton to the fast, frequent and generally reliable Metrolink network would be welcome, anybody with even just an elementary level of appreciation of local geography can see it is a project that would be very expensive, disruptive and likely more than a decade away even if work were to start tomorrow. “That said, bringing trams to Bolton should remain a long term ambition but reaching for this mustn’t distract us from quicker and cheaper improvements we could make to public transport locally. Bringing trams to Bolton has long been a point of debate (Image: Newsquest) “These should include improving capacity on the heavily congested railway line between Bolton and Manchester to accommodate more frequent stopping services, providing or expanding park and ride provision at local railway stations and improving bus priority on main corridors.
“Bury Road through my ward is particularly congested and the bus is not an attractive option when you just end up sat in the same traffic as if you were in your own car. “Projects like these are much more deli.