A new tram stop just yards away from HPARK will help further connect the site to the local area and significantly boost regional transport links.
Plans by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) for the new stop, which is part of the wider expansion of the Bee Network, were officially unveiled in August 2025.
The Heywood stop reportedly forms part of the £6 million funding package, which will also see the installation of other new tram and tram-train lines in line with the Greater Manchester Strategy. The collective vision is for every borough in Greater Manchester to be connected via the Metrolink network, with the business case for Heywood anticipated to be completed in 2026.
Proposals state that in the 2030’s, all local rail lines will be integrated with the Bee Network, with Greater Manchester communities the first outside London to be served by fully joined-up bike, bus, tram and train travel – Greater Manchester Strategy 2025-35 Summary
Construction has the potential to begin in 2028, linking Bury, Heywood, Rochdale and Oldham and is planned as an orbital route, specifically serving the Atom Valley area and potentially the JPA 1.2 Simister Bowlee site near the M60/M66 junction. – Appendix 2.pdf
The new proposed tram stop and further bee network connections will see Russell LDP’s HPARK employment scheme, and Northern Gateway – a JV between Russell LDP and Harworth Group – become some of the best connected sites in the UK.
Heywood’s new transport connections, alongside the development of the wider Atom Valley Mayoral Development Zone, will be a much needed catalyst for growth in the town centre and benefit many more boroughs of Greater Manchester. Providing key transport links enables local people to benefit from the vast job opportunities created through development in the area.
For further information about the plans to progress the expansion of Greater Manchester’s tram and train network, visit here.