Tameside train station to see £750k of improvements

Hattersley Train Station

A new ticket office and a bigger car park will be built at a Tameside train station as part of £750k worth of improvements.

The passenger facilities at Hattersley train station are getting a facelift thanks to funding from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).

Ongoing works to better the station are part of the ‘growth deal’ to improve rail infrastructure across the region. 
These range from the provision of help points, to CCTV, real-time information screens and public announcement systems. 

Earlier work in Tameside included improvements to the adjacent Hattersley Road West, and also to the station car park in 2016.

The Northern Rail franchise, who operate the station which is owned by Network Rail, had also provided enhanced passenger information systems.

These measures saw the numbers of passengers using the station increase ‘substantially’, according to officers, from nearly 52,000 in 2014/15 up to almost 89,000 in 2017/18.

Director of growth, Jayne Traverse told a meeting of the council’s strategic planning and capital monitoring panel that this had helped bring in more money.

She said, “Because of the increase in numbers at that station we have managed to secure funding through TfGM and growth funds to make improvements to that station.”

Now the latest works will see an ‘enhanced ticket office’ with a ticket vending machine, according to combined authority reports.

There will also be ‘improved public realm’ and a car park extension.

Cabinet member for finance, Councillor Oliver Ryan added: “The £750k that’s been invested in Hattersley train station, although not ours, it does improve people’s place, and improves the sense of place.”

But in order to be able to use the entirety of the £750k grant, all works must be completed by March 31, 2021.
Phase two of the growth deal funding also includes potential further help points, real time information screens and public announcement systems at up to 14 stations – including at Hyde Central.

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