Plan to turn Manchester stations into community hubs

Ninety-four local stations in Greater Manchester could be turned into community hubs, in plans unveiled by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) on March 20.

TfGM has submitted its ‘Case for Change’ plans to the Department for Transport, as it bids for multimillion-pound investment and regional accountability.

The authority wants to bring the region’s stations under local control, with a wholesale transfer of station ownership and management from Network Rail and train operators. In turn, it plans to invest in the stations, enabling them to act as community hubs.

If approved, the stations could be transferred over the next two to three years. TfGM hopes Manchester Piccadilly, Victoria and Oxford Road would then follow.

More than £400 million would then be spent on the stations over the next two decades. Funding would come from existing revenue streams and additional Greater Manchester investment.

TfGM says the “current model of station ownership does not allow for long-term customer focus and planning, and stations and their facilities have not evolved in line with customer expectations. This is due to the short-length nature of current rail franchise contracts with funding mechanisms of up to no more than nine years.”

Greater Manchester Mayor Tony Lloyd said: “Many of Greater Manchester’s rail stations do not meet the expectations of the travelling public. Stations have lost their place in the community, more than half lack step-free access, and some can be intimidating to use, particularly at night. I believe it is important that our transport assets do not just meet but exceed the demands of users.”

The submission is on behalf of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).