Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
Graham, Tom and Ian
Your Lib Dem team for Cheadle West & Gatley Learn more
What were the local issues four decades ago?
Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
What were the local issues four decades ago?
Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
Cheadle train station: update
by Lib Dem team on 9 June, 2014
The Lib Dem team have long supported a new railway station for Cheadle.
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Cheadle Station
The issue has always been down to money. There’s a limited pot available and funding is (not unreasonably) dished out on the basis of where it will do the most good, which is calculated on the basis of an overall financial return. If the community gets 60p of value for every pound invested in a new railway, that’s poor value. If the return is £3 for every pound invested, that’s good.
Until now, this sort of orbital route has always fared much worse than routes into Manchester (simply because most of the jobs are in Manchester). A route that takes people to where the jobs are is seen as more valuable than others.
However, with Airport City being built we now have a real opportunity to put our case again. A link from Stockport to Airport City (probably via Baguley) would have real value in getting people to where lots of new jobs are going to be.
We also have potential allies – I understand Tameside are looking for a similar link and Wythenshawe had a campaign for it a couple of years ago and if we can all work together we have much more chance of success.
One of the things I’ve done as the councillor in charge of Transportation at Stockport is to commission a rail study for the borough, which will report back in the next few weeks. My hope is that it will help us make the case.
We’ll also need to get a vocal campaigning group behind it, to leave TfGM and the Government in no doubt that this is something the community wants and is behind.
11 Comments
Wrong station – in the photograph !
Cheadle ‘high level’ / LNWR – near the Green – be the one that wants reopening NOT Cheadle ‘low level’ / CLC – The Cheshire Lines Tavern public house near the garden centre.
Signed, Absolute Anorak !
1905 photo of the LNWR station and the Green on this link –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheadle_LNW_railway_station
And, for the anoraks amongst us, a brief history of the CLC Cheadle station – http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/c/cheadle_north/
By the by, the family “old photos suitcase” contains one of a very young Hartley, circa 1953, at Northenden Station alongside the Royal Train which briefly stopped there. My mother used to tell me that the vague outline of someone standing at a carriage door was the Duke of Edinburgh.
That’s great news. To have a working station back in the village would be a big benefit to all. As pointed out above, the former Cheadle village station was demolished some time ago and now sits a residential house. However the land (old coal yard) is still vacant but it tenanted out to the BMI Alexandra Hospital who are planning to extend their car park – so maybe worth a discussion with them surrounding this?
I like the revitalised interested in developing talks re: airport city route.
JS
Yes. Photograph of wrong Cheadle station.
Safely laying the photo issue to rest, it is to be hoped sufficient impetus can be maintained on this one. Thus far not what foot of Metrolink track has been laid in SMBC and this will at least correct a gap in the otherwise excellent Manchester infrastructure. Whether its the metro or simply a rail service, who cares? We do need a choice in this area other than paying the ‘highwayman’ fares levied on us by the Stagecoach monopoly.
I think as it stands the track along the high level line is under used. How good would it be if the line was converted to tram train use (trails should be happening elsewhere in the uk soon). A service could run from Manchester via Stockport, Cheadle Heath, Cheadle, Gatley and into airport city. It would be quicker than the current bus service, it would also be quicker than walking or bussing to Gatley to catch the Manchester train. Another benefit would be the Chester service could also stop at Cheadle. Thus not needing to bus to Stockport to come back on yourself.
Iain,
I am very pleased this is still on the agenda. Could you be more specific about what type of service is being considered ? You mention Baguley, so is this a possible Train-Tram project? Also, did you find out why Transport for Greater Manchester, is still sitting on a report it part funded into the current heavy rail line through Cheadle (Mid-Cheshire line) ? The report was finished about 12 months ago, yet it has not been published. Train-Tram is a long term play (5-10 years), whereas making use of the current service could give a result in a few years. The increase in passenger numbers on the line, makes a half-hourly service economic and therefore a reasonable prospect for Cheadle residents.
Forget tram-trains for the moment – they will take many years, if ever, to become a reality. What is quite practicable at reasonable cost is to provide platforms at Cheadle on the high level ex LNW route from Stockport to Altrincham with potentially future stops at Birdhall Lane, Northenden/Gatley, Southmoor Road and Baguley. Now regular services have been re-established on this line for some years, there seems no reason why the stations should not be re-opened – albeit in a utility form to begin with.
For once, can we make this simple rather than having to complicate and overspend? It can’t be that difficult to achieve a train to stop in Cheadle- we already have a train line that can be used so how about the train just stops and we get on?! Next stop Manchester please! Lets not make it a 10 year issue, with jobs for the boys and millions on this tens of millions on that… I know of so many young professionals who would rather move to Cheadle but they all end up in the transport hub that is Didsbury!! Come on, Cheadle is a great village, much nicer in the centre than Cheadle Hulme and other surrounding areas but the residents are let down, we don’t even have buses to the City Centre that are regular.
I would like to know what progress has been made on this ? What is the outcome of the traffic study ? I agree with Daryl, this needs to move on if we are to benefit.
Cheadle village suffers from the lack of a station economically. We need investment in the transport infrastructure to benefit cheadle. The traffic problems are horrendous making travelling through a permanent traffic jam. It’s difficult to get a train into Manchester or Stockport , having to travel to East didsbury or gatley to get a train is unacceptable.
Hi Patricia – we should have more on this very soon.