New tram stops, train stations and the birth of tram-train are at the heart of a five-year transport plan aimed at revolutionising travel across Greater Manchester.

Announced today by Greater Manchester leaders, the 'radical' transport strategy includes measures to get more people out of their cars and on to public transport.

That includes the launch of the tram-train to areas including Heywood and Stockport, allowing trams to pass from the Metrolink network on to the rail system.

Meanwhile a new 'orbital' bus corridor could link towns between Wigan and Stockport.

Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, said the plan was crucial to changing the way people move around, bringing levels of road congestion under control and achieving legal obligations to clean up the air.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

This includes a potential move to charge drivers of the most-polluting HGVs, taxis and buses, key to a goal of creating a carbon neutral Greater Manchester by 2038.

The transport plan is divided into three parts - the 65 projects which are on their way to completion in the next five years, those schemes which are subject to business cases and could be delivered around or after the 2025 mark, and the ones under consideration which could become reality by 2040.

That includes three potential new Metrolink stops, 10 train stations, five Metrolink or tram-train stations, four new stations that could be for rail, Metrolink or tram-train, and the replacement of three existing stations, possibly to allow access for Metrolink and tram-trains.

Although £1bn funding has already been allocated for the immediate plan up to 2025, Mr Burnham told the M.E.N there is less certainty around cash for longer-term schemes at a time when Transport for the North is also applying for funding to meet its region-wide wishlist.

It means Mr Burnham and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority are currently £3bn short for the plan up to 2040.

He accepted that longer-term funding was a 'concern', adding: "If there's one big thing that's looming that potentially holds Greater Manchester back it's a transport system that's not up to the job.

"So it is funding partly but it's also about powers. This is a fragmented system that can't integrate because it's not possible to get hold of the levers at a Greater Manchester level. You've got Highways England, you've got Network Rail, you've got the bus operators doing their thing.

"It's a very bitty system. We need it to come together into a single whole.

"We do need more powers to integrate the system into a whole that works for the whole city region."

But he said he had a high level of confidence in the five-year plan.

Funding could come comes from the Government's Transforming Cities fund, which has already paid for Chris Boardman's 'beeline' routes to boost cycling across the region.

In future developers could also be asked to chip in for infrastructure around new housing and employment developments as part of planning conditions.

But looking further into the future, he accepted there was uncertainty, adding: "We do need to finalise discussions with the Government."

This will include Metrolink expansion, orbital routes linking towns for tram-trains and buses.

He said the Government's own Infrastructure Commission had supported the need for more investment in transport for city regions.

He spoke also of the Williams Review - commissioned by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to look at how the railways are run in the wake of the May timetable crisis. Mr Burnham said he wanted Greater Manchester to take control of commuter routes in Greater Manchester to better integrate them with tram and bus routes.

Here's a run down of all the projects that could transform Greater Manchester's transport system:

Manchester

Five-Year Plan - projects already in the pipeline with secure funding:

More double Metrolink trams between East Didsbury and Shaw and on other parts of the network

Castlefield Corridor expansion - to increase the number of trains that can run through (Network Rail)

Improve cycling and walking routes between Manchester city centre and Chorlton

Boost capacity on the Manchester and Salford Inner Relief Route (A57 Regent Road and Great Ancoats Street). These are the works which began in the summer and will continue into next summer, causing major city centre congestion.

Boost capacity on the Mancunian Way junction with Princess Parkway

Beyond 2025 - 'potential plans' without secured funding:

A city centre tunnel for Metrolink/trains to boost capacity

A train station at Cornbrook

A Metrolink or tram-train station at White City, Old Trafford

A new Metrolink stop at Sandhills, Collyhurst

More park and ride spaces at East Didsbury Metrolink

Boosted frequency of trams between Piccadilly and Victoria Metrolink

Congestion deal to charge public vehicles

Bury

Five-Year Plan - projects already in the pipeline with secure funding:

Boosted spaces at park and rides at Radcliffe and Whitefield

New Trafford Park - Crumpsall Metrolink line to be completed by 2020 - boosted capacity on the Bury line

Upgraded cycling routes/parking ng on the Metrolink Bury line

More double Metrolink trams between Bury and Altrincham

Beyond 2025 - 'potential plans' without secured funding:

Metrolink or tram-train between Rochdale and Bury

Metrolink stop at Elton Reservoir/Hagside

New interchange at Bury

(Image: Colin Horne - Manchester Evening News)

Oldham

Five-Year Plan - projects already in the pipeline with secure funding:

A £6m regeneration of Oldham town centre to improve public spaces and transport

Better cycling and walking routes, including refurbishing King Street and Union Street foot and cycle bridges

Beyond 2025 - 'potential plans' without secured funding:

New Metrolink stop at Cop Road

Boosted park and ride spaces at Derker and/or other Metrolink stops

A busway from the M62 North-east to Oldham town centre

New motorway junction near Birch and link road for M62 North-East corridor

Rochdale

Five-Year Plan - projects already in the pipeline with secure funding:

New busway from Manchester city centre to Northern Gateway via Middlton and Heywood

Five-Year Plan - projects already in the pipeline with secure funding:

Signalling and line speed upgrades on the Calder Valley Line (Network Rail)

Mills Hills station upgrade

Better cycling and walking routes, including upgrade of Castleton Local Centre Corridor

South Heywood Link Road to improve links between development sites

Beyond 2025 - 'potential plans' without secured funding:

New train station at Slattocks

More park and ride spaces at Rochdale rail station

South Heywood link road

M62 J20-J25 smart motorway

Salford

Five-Year Plan - projects already in the pipeline with secure funding:

Salford Central Station upgrade - re-opening disused platforms so passengers get longer trains (Network Rail)

Salford-Bolton bus network improvements

More cycling and walking routes, including at Swinton and Walkden, A6 Broad Street, B6186 Frederick Road, Chapel Street East, Monton and Trinity Way/Springfield Lane

Improvements to boost capacity on the Manchester and Salford Inner Relief Route (A57 Regent Road and Great Ancoats Street)

Beyond 2025 - 'potential plans' without secured funding:

Metrolink connection from MediaCity to Salford Crescent

More services on the A580 busway

A Park and Ride at Walkden

New rail ink into Port Salford

(Image: Stockport council)

Stockport

Five-Year Plan - projects already in the pipeline with secure funding:

New Stockport interchange

A £73m investment in the town centre to boost access to the M60 and rail station

Hope Valley Line improvement, including new passing facilities (Network Rail)

Stockport area rail improvements, including allowing for HS2 and tram-train services

Walking and cycling routes - including at Gillbent Road, Welkin Road, Hazel Grove

Improvements to the A560 Cheadle Corridor

Improvements to Bredbury Industrial Estate acccess.

A busway to improve links between Stockport, Cheshire East and Manchester Airport

Beyond 2025 - 'potential plans' without secured funding:

Tram-train services to link Stockport to the Metrolink network

New station at High Lane

New station at Stanley Green

New Metrolink/tram-train station at Adswood

New Metrolink/tram-train station at Gatley North

Metrolink extension to Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport

A busway to Manchester Airport

Better bus route from Stockport-Ashton

Tameside

Five-Year Plan - projects already in the pipeline with secure funding:

Ashton-under-Lyne bus station to become a modern transport interchange

New walking and cycling routes

Boosted Metrolink frequency for trams every six minutes on the Ashton line

Boosted Trans-Pennine connections on the Mottram Moor and A57(T) to A57 Link Roads (Highways England)

Beyond 2025 - 'potential plans' without secured funding:

New train station at Dewsnap

New train station at Gamesley

Potential Metrolink extension to Stalybridge

Better bus route from Ashton-Stockport

Better bus route from Oldham-Ashton

Trafford

Five-Year Plan - projects already in the pipeline with secure funding:

Trafford Park Metrolink - a £350m line adding six new tram stops to the Metrolink network, due for completion in 2020

More double trams between Altrincham and Bury

More cycling and walking routes, including Talbot Road Junction upgrades

Carrington Relief Road improvements

Beyond 2025 - 'potential plans' without secured funding:

Carrington and/or Sale West bus corridors

More park and ride spaces at Stretford Metrolink

Tram-train from Altrincham-Hale

Metrolink extension to Davenport Green

Tram-train from Manchester Airport to Wilmslow

Manchester Airport highway improvements

Metrolink or tram-train services from Cornbrook to Manchester Airport via Timperley

New rail station at Western Gateway

Wigan

Five-Year Plan - projects already in the pipeline with secure funding:

M58/M6 junction upgrade to boost connections between Wigan and the Port of Liverpool

M6 Smart Motorway J21A to J26 (Highways England)

Better cycling and walking routes, including the Victoria Street/Warrington Road junction and the Standish Mineral Line improvements

Beyond 2025 - 'potential plans' without secured funding:

New busway stop north of Mosley Common

Park and Ride at Tyldesley/Astley

Wigan and Bolton east-west road works including a busway to Wigan town centre

New rail, Metrolink or tram-train station at Little Hulton

New rail, Metrolink or tram-train station at Dobb Brow

New rail station at Golborne

New rail station at Glazebury

New rail station at Kenyon

Better bus route from Wigan to Bolton

(Image: PA)

Bolton

Salford-Bolton bus network improvements

Better cycling and walking routes, including improvements to the B6226 Chorley New Road

Manchester-Bolton-Preston electrification (Network Rail's delayed project)

Beyond 2025 - 'potential plans' without secured funding:

Replace rail station at Lostock Parkway

New park and ride spaces at Horwich and Bolton station

Bolton-Wigan new east-west road infrastructure, including busway extension to Wigan town centre

Better bus route from Bury to Bolton