petitions.number10.gov.uk/LeighS ... 31e.5b2082 And spread the word.

petitions.number10.gov.uk/LeighS ... 31e.5b2082 And spread the word.

Done it.

Signed it last neet. Won't happen though.

i asked this on another forum
where exactly would they put a station in Leigh?

I’ve signed it but I agree with you, we’ve more chance of having another terminal added to Westleigh International

By all accounts, in Warrington

Personally I would think that the idea that was put on here about making a station in Culcherth and extending the bypass to it is the best option. You would see an explosion of investment in Leigh. The Pies would be green with envy.

Would that be any nearer than Atherton or Daisy Hill?

Yes loads closer. I would say its about a mile (as the crow flies)from the town centre. I would say that the distance from the Robin Hood lights to the East lancs on the end of the bypass. Thats the old line route that connected to the main line anyway.

There are no longer any lines going through Culcheth however Glazebury is on the Liverpool-Manchester line and is just under three miles from Leigh centre.
Various petitions have failed to get Glazebury re-opened.

IMO extending the Metro from Eccles to Leigh would be best.

Unless it was near town centre its pointless having one.

If they drained the canal they could run a line there, Waterside pub could become the Leigh station, town centre, car parking, jobs a goodun.

In fact

the line could start from Plank Lane, stops at Penny Park for LSV/East/Miners, Leigh central (was waterside), Butts Bridge, Train station (was Boathouse Astley), The Depot (was Moorings Boothstown), then on through Worsley and into Eccles.

The best option has got to be metrolink - and the majority of the route is already there, as from the East Lancs it could follow the proposed guided busway route into Leigh town centre. This would also connect astley & tyldesley & boothstown on to the metrolink thereby reducing even further the number of cars using the A580 to get into Manchester every day.

This of course makes far too much sense to the people responsible for public transport planning who will continue to fritter away public money on planning issues, consultation exercises, public surveys (no-one wants the busway so they keep doing them til they get the results they want) and various other jobs for the boys.

A rail link is highly unlikely. A metrolink should have happened years ago and Leigh sould have been THE first to have it. Way before Altrincham, Bury, Rochdale, Oldham etc that already had rail links to Manchester.

why.they'll get all the buisness rates anyway.

What he said.

sorry if im wrong but wasn't the metro link built on the rail lines to those places? I'm certain Bury was.

You are indeed correct, Fred in that they were built on previous track bed, though there is the ridiculous current replacement of existing train lines to Rochdale to make them in to Metro lines instead



Sure it could just be built along the 'guided bus' route?

Sorry to be pedantic but business rates don't go directly into a council's coffers. They go into a national pot which then gets divvied out by the government.

Yes it was, the Bury line was unique as it was its own system and the stock and signalling was ancient so was ideal for Metrolink upgrade.
Leigh would be ideal for the Metrolink using the former route the railway took. With Oldham and Rochdale being prepared for the Metro, if we had it as well could you imagine the party atmosphere of a tram full of Leythers heading to said towns for an away game?

This is not quite true, the line from Manchester to Liverpool via Chat Moss does go past the edge of Culcheth near Leigh Golf Club (which is in Culcheth!). The proposal for Xanadu on the site of the Leigh Sports Village involved extending the bypass to the point where the line passes the golf club and building a station there. I think this would be of some value for Leigh but I would favour re-opening Chat Moss station on the same line. I am unclear where Glazebury station is, presumably, the one I think was called Chat Moss?

Surely the train would be worse for the local economy, people going spending their money in Manchester/ Liverpool, rather than spending it in the shops here, cant see people flocking to Leigh to see our 2497 pound shops, cafes and bookies, our Market is hardly famous like Bury's is, why would peoplke come to Leigh?? Unless im missing something blindingly obvious, i cant see why we need one.

Good call Jimmy , I'd rather we get some investment to get some jobs back into the town

Another thing is 'WHY WAS THE STATION DONE AWAY WITH IN THE FIRST PLACE?' answer, quite easy people didn't/wouldn't use it.
Lets not forget the man who developed the linear motor and the Maglev train system was born in Atherton, pity they are too expensive, still whats good enough for Shangai???

Surely one reason is that it is an extra factor in making the town attractive as a place for 'outsiders' to live. Why would anyone come to live in Leigh who worked in the centre of Manchester? I used to drive along the East Lancs every day for a while but wouldn't like to go Manchester in the morning rush hour now. Having said that, I can't see why people are so against the guided busway. Seems like a cheap, sensible and effective answer to me.