Is this the extension that would only happen if we agreed to the congestion charge?

So the “There is no plan B / If you don’t vote yes you won’t get anything” line that was repeatedly trotted out was a lie?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/8047020.stm

and delivering essential infrastructure that will put Oldham on the map.

Work is underway on a South Manchester line as far as Chorlton and an Oldham-Rochdale line (which mostly seems to be replacing a perfectly good railway.) It’s the other bits (Didsbury, Trafford Park/Centre etc) that were linked to the congestion charge

thanks to the work (and because the line runs directly behind my back garden) they cut down all the trees along the cycleway and as a result our flats got a temporary infestation of field mice.
but that’s besides the point; it would appear they are going to destroy part of the fallowfield loop in order to build the st werburghs road station. good work, idiots.

It’s good that Oldham gets something decent for once. East Manchester has been left to rot for a long time.

Although I am not convinced that Metrolink is so great having had to endure catching it to work everyday a few years back. It can often be a premium price for a distinctly budget service.

They are replacing a railway that provides a fast efficient service to Manchester with a more expensive, slower alternative that will take 3 years to complete. By which time those people who need to get to work in Man will have already chosen an alternative form of transport. This in a town where we have had three new bus stations, all in different places, and where the train station, which is a mile from the town centre, up a hill, and half the local population is seperated from the town by a by-pass which allows the considerably richer population of Saddleworth to get home 5 minutes quicker.

Oldham is some kind of how-not-to-do-it town and transport planners sand-box, and has been jeffed about by succesive suits for at least 30 years.

Sticking a Metro link in will make precisely no difference at all, will cost more and make the journey to Man slower.

Money will also be spent on the Mottram bypass

Really? Anyone know anymore about this?

The Pennine Bridleway passes through Oldham. Sort of.

So buy a horse and stop whining.

Money will also be spent on the Mottram bypass

Really? Anyone know anymore about this?

Last I heard this had been kicked into the long grass.

http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/16360.aspx

Not bad going for a road originally planned to be built in 1967 and then restored to the list to be built in 1989.

http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/5515.aspx

The link over to Rochdale is a stupid idea IMO – there used to be 2 rail lines from Shaw – ‘Dale and they could just put down the 2nd one and get an improved frequency of service & capacity, etc.
However, the Metrolink will introduce more stops along the way that aren’t there now – but the journey from, e.g. Milnrow, is going to go up from 30mins to ~45 I think.
While the work’s being done, the replacement buses laid on take something stupid like 2hours to get into town coz they take such a convoluted route – even the more direct buses are a better choice – if you can get a seat, that is…

meh!

Is this the extension that would only happen if we agreed to the congestion charge?

no, this conversion of the railway line to the metrolink was funded seperatly.

the congestion charge would have unlocked the funding to close the tunnel under the town, and run the metro through oldham town centre instead.

But the whole lot was origonally proposed, but the goverment would only fund part of it… hence the part a and b stages

Good one terrahawk!!! 😀