ITEM NO: 9

Report To: EXECUTIVE CABINET

Date: 26 June 2013

Executive Member/Reporting Councillor Peter Robinson – Executive Member, Transport Officer: and Land Use Damien Bourke - Head of Strategic Development and Investment,

Subject: TAMESIDE TRANSPORTATION UPDATE REPORT

Report Summary: To provide Members with information and updates on: 1) High Speed Rail Phase 2; 2) Northern (Rail) Hub and Rail Electrification; 3) Department For Transport Pinch Point Schemes at:  Junction 24, M60 Denton Island, ASDA and BT Roundabouts (A635) and  Hyde Road (A57) at Reddish Lane 4) Greater Manchester Vélocity 2025 - Cycle City Ambition Grant Recommendations: Members are asked:  To give their continued full support for the earliest delivery of High Speed 2 to Manchester Airport and the City Centre;  To note progress and updates of the Northern (Rail) Hub and Rail Electrification;  Note the details of the Highways Agency pinch point scheme at Denton Island, Junction 24 of the M60; and  Note the Tameside successful submission, as part of a wider Greater Manchester bid, to the Department of Transport for the Local Pinch Point schemes at ASDA and BT roundabouts on the A635 Park Parade and the Manchester City Council led initiative to widen the A57 Hyde Road in Gorton  Note and receive further feedback once the results of the Greater Manchester Vélocity 2025 - Cycle City Ambition Grant bid are known.

Links to Community Strategy: Transport Infrastructure Schemes are linked to promoting:  A Prosperous Society,  A Safe Environment, and  An Attractive Borough.

Policy Implications: Transportation is seen to underpin a number of objectives in the Greater Manchester Strategy, the Greater Manchester 3rd Local Transport Plan, and the Tameside Sustainable Community Strategy in promoting economic growth, reduced carbon emissions and a safer environment, through improved transport provision. Financial Implications: The report provides details and progress updates on a number of transportation initiatives that will impact on the (Authorised by Borough Tameside area. Treasurer) Any costs incurred by the Council in supporting the rail electrification works are to be recovered from Network Rail. A full report outlining the details is to be presented to Cabinet in August. Significantly, the Council has recently been successful in securing funding from Department for Transport (DfT) to support two schemes put forward as part of a larger Greater Manchester Scheme Bid. The total costs are estimated at £4.33m with £3.03m funding from DfT and in line with bid requirements £1.30m from locally sourced funding. Confirmation is being sought from Strategic Capital Panel to support the request for £1.3m contribution towards the schemes. As part of the Governments Cycle City Ambition Grant, Tameside has put forward two major initiatives, however no date has been set by DfT for a decision on the bid.

Legal Implications: The report sets out a number of ambitious programmes which will in due course be the subject of reports on (Authorised by Borough procurement and programme management to ensure Solicitor) delivered on time and on budget.

Risk Management: This paper asks Executives Board Members to note progress on a number of transport related initiatives. There are no identified risk management issues at this stage.

Access to Information: Appendix 1 – HS2 route summary plan Appendix 2 – Northern Hub and Rail Electrification schematic electrification plan Appendix 3 - Possible future patterns of service at local stations from Ashton to Greenfield to and from Manchester Appendix 4 - DfT Junction 24 Pinch Point Scheme, Denton The background papers relating to this report can be inspected by contacting the report writer, Nigel Gilmore, Strategic Planning and Transportation Manager: Telephone:0161 342 3920

e-mail: [email protected]

1. BACKGROUND

1.1 This report provides information and updates in respect of five major transport related initiatives as they affect the Tameside. These are:  High Speed Rail Phase 2 (HS2);  Northern Hub and Rail Electrification schemes;  Highways Agency Pinch Point Scheme at Junction 24 of the M60 Denton Island;  The Tameside successful submission to the Department of Transport, as part of a Greater Manchester wide bid for Local Pinch Point schemes, for the signalisation of ASDA and BT roundabouts on the A635 Park Parade and the Manchester City Council led initiative to widen the A57 Hyde Road in Gorton; and  Greater Manchester Vélocity 2025 - Cycle City Ambition Grant

2.0 HIGH SPEED RAIL (HS2)

2.1 HS2 will be the UK’s new high speed rail network and is being designed and built to resolve impending capacity issues for both passengers and freight on existing routes, particularly the West Coast Main Line (WCML).

2.2 In January 2012 the Government announced its intention to proceed with the first phase of the scheme from London to Birmingham. In January 2013 it published details of phase 2 of the line from Birmingham north to Manchester (via Crewe) and Leeds (via the East Midlands and Sheffield). There will be no decision on a Heathrow spur until after the Davies Commission on aviation capacity reports in 2015.

2.1 In January 2013, the Government announced its preferred route options from Birmingham to Leeds and Manchester. In approaching Greater Manchester, the line runs parallel to the M56 in Cheshire, running into an airport interchange station close to the airport and M56 motorway giving the southern area of conurbation and beyond easy access to the network.

2.2 From the airport, the route would continue north-east descending into tunnel close to Junction 5 of the M56 for 7.5 miles, resurfacing north of Longsight alongside the existing railway into a series of new platforms immediately north of Manchester Piccadilly station. As well as serving a network of routes across northern England and inter-city services to the Midlands, Scotland and elsewhere, Manchester Piccadilly also links in with Metrolink to Bury, Altrincham, Eccles, Salford Quays, Droylsden and in late 2013, Ashton.

2.3 The legislative timetable for the project is likely to be:  A consultation on phase 2 later in 2013 with a final decision announced before the end of 2014;  The Bill for phase 2 will not be introduced before the 2015 General Election;  The Bill for phase 1, due to be introduced into Parliament late in 2013, is unlikely to pass through Parliament before the next election

2.3 For information a route summary plan is attached at Appendix 1.

2.4 Potential rail services may include:  3 trains an hour from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly. The journey times from Manchester and the Airport to London will be around 68 and 59 minutes respectively and  2 trains per hour from Manchester Piccadilly to central Birmingham. The journey times from Manchester and the Airport to Birmingham will be around 41 and 32 minutes respectively.

2.5 For information regional and local rail connectivity including Metrolink is shown in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1: Rail and Metrolink Connectivity With HS21

2.6 HS2 Ltd, the DfT company responsible for developing and promoting the UK’s new high speed rail network, states that “HS2 will widen opportunities for millions of people linking our big cities with London and with each other… that will support regional job creation.” This includes:  Phase Two construction (Leeds and Manchester): 10,000  Operation and maintenance (Leeds and Manchester): 1,400  Stations supported employment (Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Airport): 30,000  Station supported housing (Manchester): 3,000

2.7 HS2 Ltd also notes that “improved connectivity will unlock the enormous potential and opportunities that Manchester has to offer – making it an attractive place to locate and do business, with people able to live here and work in Birmingham or London.”

2.8 The Government’s initial preferred option for this route is dictated by its desire to deliver the benefits of an interchange station adjacent to Manchester Airport and the City Centre station at Piccadilly. Full details of the initiative can be found at: High Speed 2.

2.9 Members are asked to give their full support to the whole HS2 initiative.

3.0 THE NORTHERN HUB AND RAIL ELECTRIFICATION

3.1 The Northern Hub supported by a series of rail electrification initiatives are enabling projects, which will fundamentally improve the capacity of Manchester’s rail network as part of a series of infrastructure improvements to speed rail traffic across the North. East-west routes across Manchester have long created a bottleneck in this regard. These projects

1 Figure taken form “Investing in Britain’s Future Phase Two: The route to Leeds, Manchester and beyond have received widespread support from businesses, local government and other organisations across the North and has been a major consideration in Government’s decision‐making.

3.2 The delivery outputs for the projects have been announced by Government over a period of time and include:  Electrification of the Lancashire Triangle incorporating:- o Liverpool to Manchester via Chat Moss; o Liverpool to Wigan; o Preston to Blackpool North; and o Manchester to Preston via Bolton.  The new Ordsall Chord (including electrification);  Trans‐Pennine electrification;  Speed/ capacity improvements on key Northern Inter‐City corridors. Ten new four car electric trains are to be used on the Manchester to Scotland route following the electrification of the line between Manchester and the West Coast Main Line south of Wigan, allowing existing diesel rolling stock to be redeployed to increase capacity into Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and Newcastle;  More track capacity between Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations and two new platforms at Piccadilly;  An extra platform at Manchester Airport allowing longer trains from across the north to access the station; and  Extra capacity on the route from Liverpool to Manchester (at Huyton)

3.3 A schematic electrification plan is appended at Appendix 2.

3.4 For routes through Tameside electrification will take place on the following links:

 Manchester Victoria – Ashton – Stalybridge – Mossley - Leeds  Stockport - Reddish – Denton - Guide Bridge.

3.5 Appendix 3 indicates current and potential service patterns for weekday off-peak service frequencies given known planned changes in infrastructure and possible rolling stock and timetable structures on the Manchester-Huddersfield corridor as it affects. Actual service patterns will result from timetabling planning processes in future years.

3.6 From December 2012, Guide Bridge saw services increase from 2tph to 4tph to/ from Manchester, off peak, following the introduction of additional services on the Hyde Loop. From December 2016 and as part of the trans-pennine routing service changes, it is likely that it will enjoy an additional 2 semi-fast trains to Leeds. This potential six trains per hour enables Guide Bridge to become a major public transport gateway into Tameside.

3.7 Underpinning the above is the on-going £1m plus investment package to Guide Bridge Station. The works consist of a new and improved station car park providing over 100 new spaces, and a new integrated ticket office on the Manchester bound platform. Complementing the above will be a new direct pedestrian access point to the Manchester bound platform from the adjacent Guide Lane.

3.8 For the introduction of electrification onto an existing rail routes and to ensure appropriate clearances and other associated measures, a series of civil engineering works require to be undertaken typified by:

 Partial/ full reconstruction to bridges;  Bridge deck jacking;  New/ works to existing bridge parapets ;  Track lowering in tunnels;  Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) & associated works; and  New stanchions & wiring.

3.9 Network Rail is able to carry out such works using their permitted development rights (Part 11 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1995). However where structures have to be altered for height clearance or other related issues, they are seeking prior agreement from Tameside.

3.10 Members will also be aware that Network Rail has to plan rail possessions often years in advance and it follows that they are already in place for this section of line. For the first phase some nineteen structures are involved. These range from complete bridge reconstruction to more localised footbridge issues.

3.11 Tameside officers continue to liaise with Network Rail in respect of a proposed programme of works. One of the main areas of concern relates to of Ashton Town Centre. Bridges on Oldham Rd, Henrietta St and Cow Hill Lane all require full reconstruction and associated road closures whilst the works are undertaken. With closures potentially lasting several months it is important to ensure that the effect on the local road network, public transport and local retail provision are kept to a minimum.

3.12 A full report on route diversions and other associated traffic matters will be presented to the August Cabinet for discussion and approval.

3.13 In addition, these works will be required to link in with the opening of Metrolink to Ashton Town Centre and the Local Pinch Point schemes (see section 4 below).

3.14 For the second phase, Stalybridge to the Tameside/ Oldham border, Network Rail details are currently been worked up for initial consideration by officers. There are likely to be a further 12 structures involved especially around Mossley Station itself. However the works for this second stage are likely to be less disruptive than for phase one.

3.15 There are currently no details available for any potential works along the Stockport - Reddish – Denton - Guide Bridge route.

4.0 HIGHWAYS AGENCY PINCH POINT SCHEME: DENTON ISLAND, JUNCTION 24 OF THE M60

4.1 In July 2012, the Highways Agency announced a £5.3m scheme to improve the capacity of the roundabout on Junction 24 of the M60 at Denton Island. The scheme is intended to relieve queuing at the roundabout through a number of improvements. These include:

 The provision of a dedicated left turn lane onto the M60 for traffic travelling towards Stockport from the M67/ A57 Hyde Road from the Denton direction  The provision of a dedicated exit slip road off the M60 travelling from Stockport to the A57 Manchester Road towards Manchester.  Introducing improved software (SCOOT) to the traffic signals on the roundabout  Stop lines on the westbound A57/M67 onto roundabout to be setback from existing position to remove traffic signal stage and increase capacity on the roundabout.

4.2 Although there is no expected impact on local roads within the area, officers from Tameside have and continue in discussion with the Highways Agency and Transport for Greater Manchester’s traffic control section to mitigate any such issues. The project is due to start on site in October/ November 2013 with completion by mid-August 2014. Contractors are to be Balfour Beatty and Mott MacDonald.

4.3 A schematic plan is attached at Appendix 4. 5.0 LOCAL AUTHORITY PINCH POINT SCHEMES : ASDA AND BT ROUNDABOUTS (A635 PARK PARADE) AND HYDE ROAD, GORTON (A57)

5.1 The 2012 Government Autumn Statement included a commitment of new funding to address ‘priority national and local projects to remove bottlenecks and support development’. The Fund is designed to promote economic growth through the rapid deployment of highway‐based schemes that remove transport barriers or prevent the emergence of new transport barriers. Promoters were expected to provide funds to support at least 30% of scheme costs, and DfT funding must be spent by March 2015.

5.2 The Greater Manchester Combined Authority GMCA submitted a core (Priority 1) programme bid of £21m. This consisted of £13.8m DfT requested funding and £7.2m other match funding.

5.3 Members will be aware that as part of the above, Tameside submitted two successful schemes bids to relieve congestion at BT and ASDA roundabouts at either end of the A635 Park Parade which supports both town centre developments and access to the Regional Centre and M60 motorway. Total costs are estimated at £4.33m with £3.03m from DfT and £1.30m locally sourced funding.

5.4 In addition Tameside gave full backing to a successful Manchester City Council pinch point bid initiative to widen the A57 at Reddish Lane under the redundant railway bridge now forming part of the Fallowfield Loop. The scheme complements the Highways Agency “pinch point” scheme at Junction 24 on the M60. Together the two projects will improve traffic flows along this major arterial route into the Regional Centre and elsewhere.

6.0 VÉLOCITY 2025 - CYCLE CITY AMBITION GRANT

6.1 Greater Manchester has made a bid to secure £20 million of national investment, to be spent over two years, to make cycling safer and easier across the whole conurbation. If successful this will be the first phase of the ambitious Vélocity 2025 strategy which will see cycling in Greater Manchester transformed over the next 12 years.

6.2 It comes as part of the government’s Cycle City Ambition Grant (CCAG), which offers financial support for ambitious long-term plans for cycling in British cities and city regions.

6.3 As part of the Vélocity 2025 strategy Greater Manchester wants to kick-start a generational shift with a programme that has the potential to make cycling a part of everyday life and increase, by 2025, the number of people cycling by 300%.

6.4 The CCAG bid is a joint initiative by all Greater Manchester Local Authorities through a proposed package of schemes. For Tameside this includes two major initiatives:

 The Ashton Canal Cycleway: Providing an off-highway cycle route from Ashton to Manchester City Centre by upgrading 8km of the Ashton canal towpath. Links into Ashton town centre, Guide Bridge rail station, the National Cycling Centre and Manchester City Football Club will be created using off carriageway cycle tracks, quiet roads and lengths of on-highway segregated cycle tracks.  A "Cycle and Ride" initiative at Guide Bridge Station which will continue the work in the Greater Manchester of installing cycle hubs at major transport interchanges

6.5 No date has been set by DfT for a decision on the bid

7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 HS2 will be a major catalyst in transforming the local and wider economy, with faster and better links to Birmingham, London and elsewhere making it an attractive place to locate and do business

7.2 The Northern Hub and additional rail electrification is a programme of targeted upgrades to the railway in the North of England. Scheduled to complete in 2019, increased service capacity will see the economic benefits felt as far as Newcastle and Hull in the East to Chester and Liverpool in the West.

7.3 The ASDA and BT signalisation initiatives will further underpin the ongoing regeneration of Ashton Town Centre as well as removing local congestion hot spots within the local area. In addition the Highways Agency and Manchester City Council led pinch point schemes at Denton Island, Junction 24 of the M60 and on the A57 Hyde Road at Reddish Lane will help in improving connectivity to the Regional Centre from the east of the conurbation.

7.4 The Greater Manchester Vélocity 2025 strategy and CCAG bid will be a huge stimulus to cycling in Tameside and Greater Manchester and underpin other works being undertaken by Tameside and other partners in the borough.

8.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

7.1 Members are asked:  To give their continued full support for the earliest delivery of High Speed 2 to Manchester Airport and the City Centre;  To note progress and updates of the Northern (Rail) Hub and Rail Electrification;  Note the details of the Highways Agency pinch pint scheme at Denton Island, Junction 24 of the M60; and  Note the Tameside successful submission, as part of a wider Greater Manchester bid, to the Department of Transport for the Local Pinch Point schemes at ASDA and BT roundabouts on the A635 Park Parade and the Manchester City Council led initiative to widen the A57 Hyde Road in Gorton;  Note and ask for further feedback once the results of the bid Vélocity 2025 - Cycle City Ambition Grant are known.

APPENDIX 1 Schematic Route Plan for HS2 Birmingham to Manchester

APPENDIX 2: Rail Electrification in the North West

APPENDIX 3 Possible future patterns of service at local stations from Ashton to Greenfield to and from Manchester

Planned infrastructure and rolling Ashton Stalybridge Mossley TPE Manchester-Leeds Relevant local services3 stock changes /Greenfield pattern Number of trains to/from Manchester in main pattern Now Completion of new platforms at 3 tph 4 tph (1 TPE) 1 tph 4 tph Victoria-Huddersfield Stalybridge (+1tph (+ 1 tph Liverpool-Stalybridge additional additional in Wigan-Stalybridge (TfGM funded)1 TPE in peaks) peaks) May 14 Cascade of rolling stock to TPE 3 tph No change No change 5 tph + more 6-car trains As above services following Manchester – Scotland electrification Dec 16 Completion of Ordsall Chord and up to 4 up to 6 tph No change2 6 tph including 6-car trains; 2 tph Picc-Leeds (or beyond) – serving electrification Victoria to tph Huddersfield to Stalybridge stations. Stalybridge. Victoria operated as Ashton likely to be served by trains from a through station – more through Stalybridge to Southport (1 tph) and/or services to Salford and points Blackpool (1 tph) or Liverpool (2 tph). west. Dec 18 Completion of Hub and up to 4 up to 7 tph up to 22 tph 6 tph including some 8-car Opportunity to run an hourly additional electrification. Electric units on tph day-time trains service each hour serving local stations most services. (+ 1 tph between Huddersfield and Stalybridge. additional in peaks) APPENDIX 4: DfT Junction 24 Pinch Point Scheme, Denton