Third tunnel mooted for city's underground plans

The plans would also include a new underground station being built at Manchester Piccadilly, the mayor said

A third tunnel is being considered as part of plans to create an underground network for trains and trams in Manchester.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham announced in July he would instruct Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to "look at options for underground services", claiming the city's growth was at risk if Manchester had to rely on surface-level public transport.

Two tunnels were originally proposed but Burnham announced earlier that a third north-south tunnel would also be investigated.

This would be in addition to planned south-west to north-east from around MediaCityUK or Trafford towards Atom Valley and north-west to south-east tunnels.

Burnham was speaking at a Greater Manchester Combined Authority meeting at which TfGM was formally instructed to begin early work.

Burnham previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the two proposed tunnels could connect to a new underground Piccadilly station, criss-crossing under town from the south-west to north-east and from south-east to north-west.

A report at the meeting said: "There is also a north-south gap in the rapid transit network (with no existing tram or train lines) running broadly from the Northern Gateway to the Airport via a number of hospitals, universities and associated facilities.

"This axis, which would not directly incorporate any existing Metrolink or National Rail lines, could also be investigated for its potential as a wholly segregated underground metro."

The report said early development work "will complement, respond to and integrate with the existing proposals for east-west underground connections as part of the Liverpool Manchester Railway".

No timelines were given on when material progress would be made on the tunnels, but Burnham said in July he would like "detailed" plans that "worked out what it will cost" by 2030.

Manchester previously considered an underground network in the 1970s, when early tunnelling began for the 'Picc-Vic' subterranean route that was later scrapped.