This vital project marks a significant milestone for the constituency – a hard-won victory after years of campaigning and community advocacy.
The reopening of Golborne Station is a clear sign that the voices of local residents and leaders are finally being heard – both locally and nationally. The station will provide crucial links to jobs, education and services across the region, bringing long-overdue investment and economic opportunity to our area.
However, Golborne Station is just the beginning – the real challenge now is how we further connect our towns in the ongoing battle for better transport. I’ll be working closely with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to do just that.
I fully support the Mayor’s vision for a connected North West.
Local authorities and leaders are calling for a strategic, cross-boundary approach to transport that links not just Greater Manchester, but also Merseyside, Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria – and all the towns that lie in between, including mine. The untapped potential of these often-overlooked communities is vital to our region’s long-term success.
The reopening of Golborne Station has been made possible thanks to close collaboration between Wigan Council, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, local councillors and a Labour Government. It proves that working together is exactly what’s needed to drive forward the next phase of investment.
I’ve been advocating for the reopening of Golborne Station since I was first elected to Parliament in 2017, and that work has continued in partnership with local councillors and Mayor Andy Burnham ever since.
We’ve come a long way since I first wrote to the then Secretary of State for Transport in December 2017 to ask what work the Conservative Government had done to assess the feasibility, cost and social and economic benefits of reopening Golborne Station – only to be told that “no such assessment” had been made. Securing the green light is a major achievement.
Elsewhere in the constituency, we’ll also see work begin next year on the Tyldesley Travel Hub, which will deliver increased parking capacity and EV charging bays for those using the V1 and V2 bus services. Just this week, an additional stop was added to the V2 service at Atherton and Tyldesley Botanical Gardens – the result of persistent efforts by local councillors and my own meetings with TfGM.
But despite this progress, Leigh remains one of the most transport-excluded areas in the country, ranking in the top 1% for Transport-Related Social Exclusion. I hear time and again from constituents about the real barriers they face to opportunity due to the lack of viable transport options.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – growth goes where growth already is. If we’re serious about rejuvenating the North West, we must fully integrate towns like Leigh into the wider transport system – starting with Metrolink expansion into Leigh.
I recently led a Westminster Hall Debate on the issue, focussing on improving transport connectivity in the North West. I urged the Government to support a strategic approach and to back Metrolink for Leigh – not just for our town, but for the prosperity of our entire region.
With Golborne Station getting the green light, the focus now turns to the future. Leigh and Atherton must not be left behind as greater transport connectivity across the North West continues to develop.