How investing in transport will support the North West
For too long, the North West has been neglected when it comes to investment in public transport. While London has long enjoyed a modern, well-connected network, areas like Greater Manchester and towns like Stockport have lagged behind. Good public transport creates jobs, helps people access education and healthcare, supports businesses, and combats climate change. If we want a fairer and more balanced country, we must invest properly in the regions.
That is why I welcome the Chancellor’s recent commitment of £15.6 billion for regional transport across England over the next five years. This will mean twice as much funding going to city regions by the end of the decade compared to now. It is a major step forward and shows the Government is serious about backing the North.
For my constituency of Stockport, the £2.5 billion of funding for Greater Manchester will help pay for the long-awaited Metrolink tram extension into our town centre. This is something I have been campaigning for over many years. I have repeatedly urged both this and the previous government to support the extension of the Metrolink tram system into Stockport town centre. From my maiden speech on 9 March 2020 to recent debates in the House of Commons, I have raised this matter in Parliament several times orally, including with Prime Minister Boris Johnson during Prime Minister’s Questions on 25 November 2020.
Since Labour came into power last year, I have also made the case for this vital extension during meetings with the new Prime Minister and the Department for Transport. The new Stockport Interchange was built with the tram in mind, and now I am delighted that we finally have the funding in place to take the next steps.
Stockport constituency has been let down time and time again when it comes to investment in our public transport. The Conservatives tried to paper over this failure with empty slogans like ‘levelling up’. But they remained just that – slogans – with nothing delivered. Years of mismanagement of the public finances and underinvestment in the infrastructure we all rely on led to too many broken promises, especially for local people in Stockport and the wider region.
Bringing the Metrolink to Stockport will be a game-changer. It will connect our town directly with the wider tram network, making it much easier for people to travel for work, education, and leisure. It will also reduce traffic, cut emissions, and help us meet our climate targets. For many, it will mean they no longer need to rely on a car, which saves money and reduces congestion.
The extension will also be a huge economic boost for Stockport—helping to attract more businesses, supporting local shops, and creating jobs. It sends a clear message that Stockport is open for business.
But we must go further.
The Metrolink extension is a vital step forward, but it cannot be the end of the story. To truly unlock Stockport’s potential, we need a continued commitment to investment in regional transport.
In particular, I am calling for the reinstatement of regular passenger services from Reddish South Station. Currently, this station is served by one train per week but I believe that local residents deserve better connectivity. We also urgently need investment in Stockport railway station, which has suffered from chronic underfunding causing crumbling infrastructure and accessibility issues.
This Labour government has made real progress. But we must keep up the momentum and ensure that places like Stockport are no longer treated as second-class when it comes to infrastructure. I will continue to press for the investment we need, brick by brick, road by road, track by track, so that every part of Britain can be better off.
Let’s build a transport system that works for everyone.
Navendu Mishra is the Labour MP for Stockport.
