Plans for £30m heritage railway build up steam
A MILLIONAIRE businessman is confident a heritage railway, cycleway, and pathway linking Irlam to Timperley can be delivered within five years.
As reported in Tuesday’s M.E.N., the ambitious plans will cost between £25m and £30m.
But the man whose vision it is believes it can be achieved with a mix of public and private funding.
Telecoms mogul Neil McArthur, who has already ploughed £7m into the Cadishead and Irlam community via his Hamilton Davies Trust, said: “We have been working on this for two years and later this year we intend to make a formal presentation to Transport for Greater Manchester, who are brokering meetings with Network Rail.
“Salford and Trafford council want it to happen and the detailed report we are putting together will be used by TfGM to lobby on our behalf that it is deserving of public money. The multi-modal nature of what we are proposing will, we believe, help attract private investors too.”
The key to the project is getting the Cadishead Viaduct, built in 1893, repaired. This would then link up to Partington and beyond to Timperley along a six-mile route.
Neil said: “The route is owned entirely by Network Rail, who will not sell it as they think one day they will need it again.
“But it is not in their 35-year plan. Our view is that it is a public asset and the best thing to do is get it back as a working line. Salford council have plans for 2,000 new homes in Irlam and 10,000 homes and commercial development is planned for Carrington. The developers will hopefully see the value of what we are proposing to both communities and invest.
“If we don’t do anything within the next five years the central decking of the viaduct will have to be removed. That would leave an eyesore and the cost of reinstating it would be massive - today it could be repaired for a few million not tens of millions.”
He believes a restored viaduct would be a gateway to the heritage railway, a 14-kilometre extension to a national cycle way, walkway, and even an extension of Metrolink. Backing the campaign is former government minister, and rail enthusiast, Michael Portillo, presenter of TV’s Great Railway Journeys.
Mr Portillo, who visited Irlam this week, said: “The building of Britain’s railways during the 19th Century required vision, determination and entrepreneurial flair. Today, the reopening of closed tracks requires the same qualities.
“I’m impressed by the zeal shown by the Hamilton Davies Trust. Heritage lines run all over Britain thanks to that kind of enthusiasm, and they bring pleasure to many thousands, and greatly boost the economic health of the neighbouring communities.”