Stoke-on-Trent council reveals £415m transport strategy

Stoke-on-Trent Council has unveiled a £415m transport strategy in an effort to deliver a ‘better-connected’ city.

The flagship part of the plans features a very light rail network which will connect Stoke-on-Trent’s six towns through three main lines – the Northern line (Tunstall, Hanley, Stoke railway station and Longton), the Central line (Etruria, Hanley, Bentilee and Longton) and the Southern line (Stoke railway station, Longton, Trentham, Royal Stoke hospital and Newcastle).

The network aims to connect residential areas with employment and retail centres alongside railway and bus stations to create opportunities for interchange.

The plans developed by Sweco present the council’s transport priorities until 2031 and will use the example of Coventry’s VLR development to base Stoke’s network off of.

The overall strategy of the council is to improve its public transport offering whilst decarbonising the network and providing better connectivity.

Councillor Daniel Jellyman, the cabinet member for regeneration, infrastructure and heritage, said: “The fact that we are refreshing our transport plan shows that we have the ambition to develop and deliver a reputable transport network for the whole of Stoke-on-Trent.

“Our transport strategy is a serious piece of work. It took years to get to this point and we have worked very hard on it, but it is not definitive and that is why we have launched our consultation. I would encourage all residents to have their say.

“The VLR network is a key part to this strategy. I believe this should have been done 15 years ago when Manchester and Birmingham were doing it, so I am very keen not to waste any more time.

“We have seen what other authorities are planning in the region, and we are very excited and inspired to put our own stamp on things for Stoke-on-Trent residents.”