Wednesday 18 March 2015

WYTHENSHAWE STATION CAMPAIGN UPDATE 18.3.2015

After many years of campaigning we believe considerable  progress has been made on the case for building a new railway station on the Mid-Cheshire line (MCL) at Baguley on Southmoor Road to link up with the recently opened Manchester Airport Metro which crosses the rail-line at this point.The rail link will give fast access to Altrincham,Hale and Cheshire as far as Chester to the west and to Stockport to the east and onward North to Manchester.

Baguley station will be inside the newly designated Airport City Enterprise Zone which includes The Medipark,Roundthorn,Wythenshawe Hospital(UHSM),Manchester International Airport,The Airport Business Park,The Logistics Centre and many other businesses and hotels.

This vital interconnection between the rail and metro will linkup many communities and will provide speedy access to work for many thousands of workers from their homes inTrafford,Cheshire,Stockport and Greater Manchester areas.Also the many thousands of visitors and outpatients to Wythenshawe hospital(UHSM) will be able to get to the hospital quickly by train and tram and avoid arduous and hazardous journeys on some of the most congested and dangerous roads in the UK.

We are pleased to report that in February this year Stockport MBC recommended a business case for a new station at Baguley be given priority because of the access to the Enterprise Zone for many of their residents.

In The Summary Report on the franchise consultation on the Northern  published recently on  27February (Transforming the North's Railways) we are pleased to note that the DfT stated the building of a station at Baguley is the sole responsibility of the local transport authority.They also recommended that an additional off-peak service should be included in the ITT for the Franchisee for Northern.

We have been informed recently by TfGM  that a business case for Baguley Station is currently being made.