This major UK airport could get a new public transport link

This year will mark a major moment for Manchester Airport. After a decade in the making, its huge £1.3bn revamp of Terminal 2 will finally be complete. Last year, the terminal revealed its expanded security hall, a huge new departures lounge with a sparkling ‘boutique mall’ and it’s now undergoing the very final touches. 

It’s hoped that the massive transformation of T2 will allow Manchester Airport to serve 40 million passengers per year by 2030, compared to the 32 million it serves right now. Now, plans are being discussed for new public transport infrastructure that’ll help the hub accomodate eight million more flyers. 

A new Metrolink stop and tram line could be added to the Terminal 2 building. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is considering adding a stop along the new ‘Western leg’ of the existing tram line.

If the idea goes ahead, the tram would stop at Manchester Airport rail and tram station as it normally does, then continue on to the new terminal. It would travel across the M56 and connect to the existing line at Roundthorn.

The plan is laid out in TfGM’s Greater Manchester Transport Strategy 2050, which says that ‘with the completion of the Manchester Airport Transformation Programme in 2025, most flights will arrive and depart from this terminal’. No decision has been made yet on whether the new tram stop will become a reality. 

A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said: ‘As we continue to serve more passengers, and the growing number of airport staff, it’s important that the transport infrastructure that connects the airport to the local area and the wider region is convenient, fast, affordable and able to meet that demand.

‘It will also help make sure that the benefits of Manchester Airport’s route network and the wealth that generates can be felt by more people. We are working closely with TfGM, the City Council, and the transport operators on these plans for rail, the Bee Network, coach services, and walking and cycling.’

ICYMI: Read all about the multimillion-pound revamp happening at Manchester Airport’s other terminal. 

Plus: Europe’s top airports for customer service have been revealed – and two UK hubs made it to the top tier. 

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