Chorlton tram line to open by end of June

The new line will be open within the next two weeks, Transport for Greater Manchester has said

An extension to Greater Manchester's tram network is due to open by the end of the month, the region's transport authority has announced.

The new line will stop at St Werburgh's Road, Chorlton and Firswood.

It is part of a £1.4bn expansion which will see the tram network triple in size, with the number of trams rising from 30 to about 100.

The network is also due to expand to Oldham, Rochdale, Ashton, Droylsden and Manchester Airport in the coming years.

There are also plans for a second line to cross Manchester city centre.

'Major milestone'

Philip Purdy, director of Metrolink for Transport for Greater Manchester, said: "Our newest line to passengers will be open within the next two weeks, giving people a fast and convenient way to travel that is cheaper to use than the car.

"This is a major milestone in Metrolink's expansion and improvement programme, the largest single public transport investment project outside London."

Services on part of the Oldham line - from Central Park - are due to start in December, with the remaining due to run from March.

Trams are due to run to Rochdale railway station from the summer of 2012.

The new lines will be controlled by a new management system to allow more trams to run on the network.

It should allow passengers to receive real-time information about when their tram is due to arrive at a given stop.