Tameside council is to vote on whether to formally petition the government against the HS2 bill which could see the Ashton-under-Lyne tram line severed for 'two years'.
An extraordinary full council meeting is due to take place on Monday, March 21 over the High Speed Rail Bill covering the Crewe to Manchester phase B of the project. Councillors are being asked to agree that the local authority will formally oppose the bill and petition against it in its current form.
Leader Brenda Warrington had previously said she was 'dismayed' by the fact that developing the new HS2 line could see Metrolink services to Ashton suspended for two years. And it is also being opposed by the MP for Denton and Reddish Andrew Gwynne who said it would be 'disastrous' for the borough.
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However an HS2 spokesperson previously said they aimed to 'limit disruption'. The report going before full council states that the bill 'as currently drafted' includes provision for the full closure of the Metrolink Ashton line for a 'circa two year period'.
The council wants it amended to enable the construction of a new depot at Ashton Moss, which would see a tram shuttle service operate between the Ashton and New Islington stops instead of the full closure of the Ashton Line. This, with some other works, would enable the Ashton Metrolink line to remain open throughout the construction of HS2, officers say.
"The council require that the existing Metrolink Ashton Line should be kept connected to the remainder of the Metrolink network for as long as practicable during construction of the HS2 station and modified Metrolink infrastructure and, when the line has to be disconnected from Piccadilly, trams are able to operate as far into Manchester city centre as possible, with bus services provided to bridge the gap," the report states.
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The 'assumption' made in the report is that all related costs for the change would be wholly financed by the government, Transport for Greater Manchester or the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The HS2 Hybrid Bill for Phase 2b between Crewe and Manchester was put before MPs on January 24 and is still going through the parliamentary process.
During the construction period, tram services on the Ashton-under-Lyne to Eccles route would be suspended while ‘Metrolink realignment works’ are carried out to allow for completion of the station concourse and fit-out works. There would be a temporary track and ‘turn back’ created at Piccadilly for a period of two years until the new Piccadilly Metrolink stop is fully functional.
Responding to criticism when the plans were first revealed, a spokesperson for HS2 said that subject to the passage of the bill, Metrolink realignment works are not expected to begin until at least 2024, and they intend to limit disruption to Metrolink to ‘as short a duration as is reasonably practicable’. A replacement bus service between Ashton and Piccadilly Gardens would be in operation before the new Piccadilly Metrolink stop becomes fully functional.
The HS2 spokesperson said: "We are committed to minimising disruption for Metrolink passengers and continue to work closely with Transport for Greater Manchester to plan for HS2’s programme of construction works. Construction works will be phased to limit disruption, with single line operation and/or replacement bus services put in place to ensure that passengers retain access to Metrolink routes.
"Proposals for the Crewe – Manchester extension of the HS2 network include provision for new Metrolink stops at the new Manchester Piccadilly and Airport Stations, enhancing connectivity to HS2 and future NPR services. We encourage communities to have their say on the proposals and respond to the public consultation on the Environmental Statement by 31 March 2022."
