As towns in Greater Manchester go, Heywood is one of the biggest. But locals say there is something missing.
The Rochdale borough town has no trams running through, no train stations and a bus service that takes around an hour to get to Manchester city centre. The journey time between Heywood and Manchester is around 30 minutes by car.
So last year, when Andy Burnham announced there would be spades in the ground on the new tram link for Heywood by 2028, there was elation.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) confirmed they are working on a business case for the Heywood project which falls under what TfGM’s Oldham-Rochdale-Heywood-Bury Tram-Train pathfinder scheme.
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The new Metrolink line would connect Bury to Rochdale via Heywood and then loop back through Shaw towards Oldham. However, no plans have been formally approved.
Mr Burnham is now the Prime Minister and his successor as Greater Manchester mayor, Bev Craig, hasn’t mentioned the Heywood Metrolink extension. However, she did speak about the expansion of the tram network to Stockport in her mayoral manifesto.
This is why the MP for Heywood and Middleton is keen to push the agenda regarding the project. Elsie Blundell fears it could get lost amongst the many major projects going on in the city-region.
Mrs Blundell said: “It’s imperative that TfGM stays focused on this link and makes sure that it is delivered on schedule: spades in the ground in 2028, as promised.
“Whether by bus, tram or train, it is unacceptable that Heywood is the only sizeable town in Greater Manchester not to have a quick link into the city centre.”
There have been no changes to the plans announced, with the new GM mayor expected to meet with the Heywood and Middleton North MP in the coming weeks. Currently there has been no suggestion that spades won’t be in the ground by 2028, as promised by Andy Burnham.
Once built, the scheme would give Greater Manchester two Metrolink firsts: The first ‘orbital’ Metrolink route, i.e. one which does not go via the city centre, and the first ‘tram-train’, set to be rolled out across the city in coming years.
Tram-trains are fully electric, using overhead wires like trams for power on some sections of track, and batteries on other stretches. The revamped Bury Interchange will be built to handle tram-trains, trams, and buses, according to a TfGM report.
The business case for Heywood is expected to be completed in 2026, Burnham announced in August 2025. It formed part of the Greater Manchester Strategy put forward the previous month.
What TfGM have said
A spokesperson for TfGM said: “This is a large and complex scheme and work is still ongoing. There are several key next steps coming up – including timetable modelling with Network Rail, market engagement with vehicle manufacturers, and making space as part of the Bury Interchange Redevelopment for a future third platform.”
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) mayor and local council leaders pledged for 90 per cent of people in the city-region to be within a five-minute walk of a bus or tram that comes at least every 30 minutes by 2030. The idea is to link every borough in Greater Manchester to the Metrolink network, with a long-term plan for major expansion of the Bee Network.
This promise of better connectivity for all in the city-region is why Elsie Blundell is also pushing for the return of the 167 bus service. This ‘express’ bus service would take commuters directly from Heywood into Manchester city centre.
Currently, the 163 bus starts in Bury, goes through Heywood, Langley and Middleton before going to Manchester. The journey takes around an hour from Heywood.
The re-imagined 167 bus would start in Norden, stopping at Bamford, Heywood and Rhodes before heading into the city centre. Mrs Blundell’s campaign, started almost as soon as she took office in July 2024, pointed out that Heywood’s provision of local bus services wasn’t adequate.
She feels the current provision doesn’t provide the means for commuters to travel swiftly to Manchester City Centre – holding back the potential for local residents to access jobs and opportunities elsewhere in the city-region.
A massive project like the introduction of a new tram-train line would take years before it is up and running. So a new express bus service would go some way to improving opportunities for the people of Heywood.
Mrs Blundell said previously: “If services improved, including the re-introduction of the 167 service, the vast majority of people who responded said they would use buses more. Given that two thirds also described current services as ‘bad’, it means there is both room for improvement and real interest from passengers to see it happen.
“Improving buses is good for everyone on the road. Reducing traffic and congestion by using the bus to school, work, hospital or the shops, will be good for everyone.
“When it comes to local bus services the needs of communities in my constituency are not currently being met. We must take this opportunity to press ahead and deliver better bus services for everyone living in our area.”



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