The next big Metrolink project to come to Greater Manchester will be the £350m route to the Trafford Centre.

After that, according to a major transport plan for the next 20 years, new lines could lead to areas including Stockport, Middleton, Stalybridge - and there are plans for tram-train routes too.

When finished, the Trafford line will feature six new tram stops at key spots, including the Trafford Centre, EventCity, the Imperial War Museum North, Old Trafford football stadium and Trafford Park.

The super-route was the first big project to benefit from the Devolution deal - the handing over of more power to the region's leaders.

It's this that unlocked the cash - along with a £20m contribution from Trafford Council.

As transport bosses look to counter a growing congestion and pollution problem by getting more people on to public transport, they are going to have to find solutions to future-proof our travel network.

But extracting money for transport from Government remains notoriously tricky.

And as cash-strapped councils struggle to find the money for basic services, it's uncertain how the major Metrolink projects of the future might be funded.

So does a cheaper way of expanding the network need to be found?

Greater Manchester could look to China, where transport official have just rolled on to the tracks the world's first hydrogen-powered tram.

(Image: New China TV/YouTube)

Developed by Sifang, a subsidiary of the China South Rail Corporation, the first tram was produced in Qiangdao, Shandong Provice.

It's the first time engineers have managed to harness the technology for trams and it rules out the need for pricey overhead lines.

Hydrogen, which creates a fuel when burned with oxygen, is an interesting option because it can be extracted from different sources, including renewable ones and allows vehicles to run on zero emissions, producing only water.

The new tram, which can carry more than 380 passengers, is also said to slash energy running costs - with one tank lasting around 62 miles. And it only takes three minutes to refuel.

Another solution could be battery-powered trams, which are already already been pioneered in this country.

(Image: Birmingham Mail)

Transport for West Midlands (TFWM) rolled out its first battery-powered tram last April - and is looking to add 50 more to its fleet.

The company will initially buy 18 new battery-powered trams with an option to acquire an additional 32 at a later stage.

The proposed expansion of the tram network is part of a planned £3.4bn investment in West Midlands transport over the next ten years, which will include new suburban rail lines, cycle routes and motorway improvements.

They also plan to retrofit their 21 existing trams with batteries. The 71 trams, due to be in service by 2021, will run on upcoming extensions to the network, which connects Wolverhampton St George’s to Birmingham Grand Central.

Roger Jones, Irlam member and transport expert, is battling for a cheaper solution to expanding the tram network - and argues the answer could lie in hydrogen or battery power, especially for line running around town centres.

He said: "We are all trying to find the next big idea for transport and it's not easy.

"Trams are popular and are doing well but they have to pay for themselves and there is no subsidy which is why the fares, if anything, are a bit high."

But speaking of the capital cost of building new lines, he argues it's vital to find a cheaper way of getting more passengers on to the trams.

(Image: Mark Waugh Manchester Press Photography Ltd)

He added: "There's a hydrogen tram in China and there are also battery-powered trams which charge up over night and can run for most of the day.

"There's also the battery-powered tram which can be charged up over night and run for most of the day.

"You could have smaller one-carriage trams that go around town centres.

"So, for example the tram currently runs to Eccles. You could have a tram line around Eccles linking up to th rail station and just have a one-carriage tram going round the town centre. You could have this in Altrincham or any other town centre.

"It's effective, you don't need overhead power lines so you'd save a great deal of money and it would be popular, a bit like the old trolley buses.

"We need to learn from other cities who have already started on these things."

Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester Mayor, agrees transport bosses need to 'think creatively and as cost-effectively as they can' about the future.

He said tram-trains were one way of achieving this.

Danny Vaughan, TfGM head of Metrolink, said: "Our current fleet of M5000 trams are powered by electricity produced from renewable energy sources and produce zero emissions at street level.

"We're committed to continuing to invest in low-emission transport moving forwards as part of our plans to develop a world-class transport network for Greater Manchester."