Bolton Metrolink extension would be 'poor value for money'

The Restoring Your Railway report by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) claims that extending the tramlines along possible routes would cost far more than their value benefits.

The admission that costs may make extending the line unlikely has sparked disappointment amongst long term supporters of brining trams to Bolton.

Dr Paul Salveson, visiting professor of at the University of Bolton, said: “Anything is doable, you’ve just got to look at the relationship between costs and benefits, obviously it's disappointing if TfGM are saying its poor value for money.

“We know there are a few different route options but for my money coming in from Eccles and on to the hospital would make a lot of sense.

“But equally coming in from Radcliffe and through Breightmet would also make a lot of sense.”

A Metrolink tram (Image: Newsquest)

He added: “I find it surprising that they can bring a tram to Ashton-under-Lyne and to Rochdale but they can’t bring it to Bolton so I really think the council and our MPs should be making the case for it.

“So it would be good if we could bring it to Bolton in areas where, generally speaking, we’ve got very heavily used bus routes.”

Extending the Metrolink to Bolton has been debated as far back as the 2019 general election.

The then transport secretary Grant Shapps said that if re-elected, his Conservative government would commit to spending millions on extending the Metrolink to both Bolton and Stockport.

The debate shot back up the agenda last October after the government announced it could be a project funded with a slice of £4 billion from the cancelled HS2 rail link.

This was announced the same day in October 2023 that prime minister Rishi Sunak admitted that the much-trailed HS2 link would not reach Manchester.

The tramline extension was one of a list of projects the government put forward after announcing the railway link had been cancelled as a way of improving connectivity in Northern cities.

The government also suggested Metrolink extensions to Wigan and Heywood along with other transport projects around the north of England.

At the time, speculation held that this would mean extending the existing line from Radcliffe to give people in the eastern parts of Bolton another route into Manchester.

Another route suggested by Dr Salveson was that the extended trams could connect areas from the south of the borough to Royal Bolton Hospital and on to areas like Little Hulton and Walkden.

But later that same week Prime Minister Rishi Sunak admitted that projects like this were only meant to be “illustrative” of what the money could be used for, rather than concrete proposals.

The TfGM Restoring Your Railways report casts further doubt on the plans.

It suggests two possible routes, the first of which would go from Bolton to Radcliffe to Manchester Victoria and on to the Trafford Centre.

The report said: “This option is most similar to the historical rail track bed and provides the fastest journey time of the options considered.

“However, since the railway went out of operation in c1970 extended sections of the track have now been built over with predominantly residential property.

“Reinstating the line would require significant land purchase/demolition and would be the most impactful in terms of land acquisition, infrastructure and environmental costs and risks.”

Another option would be to extend to tramlines from Bolton to the Elton Reservoir and on to Radcliffe, Manchester Victoria and either the Trafford Centre or Bury.

The report said: “This option provides a direct connection between Bolton, Bury and Radcliffe and includes stops at the Elton Reservoir to serve the proposed 3,500 new homes on the site and is the least impactful scheme in terms of land acquisition, infrastructure and environmental costs and risks.

“It is, however, a slower option which presents less benefits as well as passing through low density areas in South East Bolton and East Bury.

“The presence of substantial green space along the route lowers demand and, consequently, revenue.”

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The report ultimately judged both options to be “poor value for money.”

TfGM transport strategy director Martin Lax said: “The feasibility study looking at an extension from Radcliffe to Bolton under the government’s Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund was completed in 2022 and is awaiting a response from department for transport with no decisions taken yet. 

“However, this corridor is a challenging one to restore and the feasibility study showed poor value for money.

“In the past the former railway line has been built on with several residential developments, the population density around the former railway line is relatively low, and there are already frequent train and tram services at each end of the former railway line.”