Plans to deliver a new £32m train station in Golborne have reached a milestone moment. Wigan Council has given the green light to the planning application for the station and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) have appointed a local company to design it.
Greater Manchester has ambitious plans to bring eight commuter rail lines into the Bee Network by 2028. The new station – which will reconnect Golborne to the railway for the first time in more than 60 years – is part of the city-region’s wider plans to improve connectivity for communities as part of the first fully-integrated transport system outside London.
Planning approval follows hot on the heels of the government giving the go ahead to the station’s outline business case in January, which set out the transformational benefits it will bring to the area as part of the Bee Network.
It means TfGM, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Wigan Council, working with Government, will now develop a full business case and detailed design in 2025.
To deliver this work, TfGM has appointed Golborne-based engineering firm Murphy to develop the final station designs. Subject to approval from government, work is expected to begin in 2026 with the first trains hoped to stop there in 2027.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “This is a significant moment for Greater Manchester, with the approval of the planning application for Golborne station bringing us closer to reconnecting Golborne to the railway network for the first time in more than 60 years.
“Local residents have campaigned tirelessly for the restoration of rail services to Golborne. This approval is a victory for the community and a step towards realising our shared vision for better connectivity, easing congestion on local roads, reducing carbon emissions and supporting economic growth.
“We are committed to moving forward at pace with this project and bringing rail into the Bee Network – making it easier to get around the city-region. To have such a respected partner like Murphy on board to take the station through detailed design is a fantastic result, and we can then move swiftly through to construction. With roots in the community, they understand how better connections will open up access to skilled jobs and opportunities across the city-region while making Golborne an even greater place to live and work.”I’m
