East Didsbury tram stop

East Didsbury is a tram stop on Greater Manchester's light rail Metrolink system and the terminus of the system's South Manchester Line (SML). It is on the east side of Kingsway in East Didsbury, close to Manchester's boundary with Heaton Mersey in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport. It was built as part of Phase 3b of the network's expansion and opened on 23 May 2013.[1][2]

East Didsbury
Metrolink station
General information
LocationDidsbury, Manchester
England
Coordinates53.41209°N 2.21736°W / 53.41209; -2.21736
Grid referenceSJ856905
Line(s)South Manchester Line
Platforms2 (island)
Other information
StatusIn operation
Fare zone3
Key dates
23 May 2013Opened
Services
Preceding station Manchester Metrolink Following station
Terminus East Didsbury–Shaw and Crompton Didsbury Village
towards Shaw and Crompton
East Didsbury–Rochdale Didsbury Village
towards Rochdale Town Centre
Location

History

East Didsbury tram stop was built on the Midland Railway's former Manchester South District line from Manchester Central Station.[3] East Didsbury Metrolink station is 200 metres (660 ft) north-east of East Didsbury railway station, which is a National Rail station on the Styal Line.

Together with West Didsbury and Didsbury Village Metrolink stops, East Didsbury had been a feature of proposals to extend the Metrolink system since 1983.[4] In 2006, it was announced that the CLC line would be re-opened as part of an expansion project, and that the extension would initially go only as far as St Werburgh's Road in a project named Phase 3a.[5] Following the rejection of the Greater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund in a public referendum in 2008, Phase 3b of the extension of the line to East Didsbury went ahead using the Greater Manchester Transport Fund.[2][6][7]

Tram stop sign

Construction of the line through Chorlton began in April 2009 and that part of the new line became operational in July 2011.[8] The extension to East Didsbury opened on 23 May 2013.[1][9] Passengers could now travel on the old rail alignment into Manchester for the first time since 1967.

Although the station is currently the terminus of the South Manchester Line, the line could be extended to Stockport, a proposal which was originally submitted in 2001, but was cancelled due to the lack of funding.[10] Due to sections of the former railway alignment being built on, an extension to Stockport would involve street running into the town centre.

Service pattern

References
  1. "Early doors for East Didsbury's new Metrolink line". Transport for Greater Manchester. Archived from the original on 20 July 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  2. Linton, Deborah (13 May 2009). "£1.4bn transport deal unveiled". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  3. Sussex, Gay; Helm, Peter (1988). Looking Back at Withington and Didsbury. Timperley: Willow Publishing. pp. inside front cover. ISBN 0-946361-25-8.
  4. Hellewell & Reeve 2013, p. 5.
  5. "Metrolink extension is announced". BBC News. 6 July 2006. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
  6. "Tram line extension is approved". BBC News. 13 May 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  7. "Metrolink: back on track?". BBC Manchester. 13 May 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  8. "Future Metrolink - South Manchester line". GMPTE. April 2009. Archived from the original on 16 November 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
  9. Kirby, Dean (14 May 2013). "Metrolink extension to East Didsbury to open next week - three months early". Manchester Evening News.
  10. "LDF Core Strategy DPD". Stockport Council. Retrieved 7 July 2014.

Bibliography
  • Hellewell, Scott; Reeve, Colin (2013). Metrolink: Oldham to Chorlton including the Oldham Loop Line. Venture. ISBN 978-1905-304-530.
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