Next stop Manchester Central Park for Metrolink

Office workers at Central Park in Manchester are celebrating the arrival of a new dedicated tram stop on the popular Metrolink light rail network, which provides easy access to all parts of the city centre.

The new tram stop will enable the park’s 5,000 daily workers and visitors to alight directly at the front door of Central Park. 

The Central Park stop at the 90-acre business park is located just 1.5 miles from the city centre and is only a five minute journey from Manchester Victoria, and 20 minutes from Oldham.  It is sited in a stunning, modern £36.5m Transport Gateway Interchange completed in 2005.

Now the service is operational, the Metrolink enables the park’s 5,000 daily workers and visitors to reach what is the UK’s only city centre business park by tram.

Says Ask: Goodman spokesman James Raven, Development Director, “The arrival of Metrolink means that Central Park is delivering on its promise to be a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable office location.
“People using the Central Park stop can now experience the stunning gateway interchange, and the improved accessibility will encourage occupiers and visitors to use modern, efficient public transport in place of the car.”
Central Park’s combination of high quality office space and green credentials has proved to be a major attraction for occupiers.

These include Greater Manchester Police, which now occupies two new HQ buildings, one for GMP Force (240,000 sq ft) and one for GMP Divisional (125,000 sq ft).

Superintendent Chris Ullah of Greater Manchester Police said: "The new Metrolink tram stop will certainly be welcomed by our workforce.  It's clean and efficient and will go towards the overall aim of reducing car journeys by people travelling to and from the new police headquarters."

Other occupiers at Central Park are Fujitsu, North Manchester NHS (CAMHS), and the dynamic One Central Park business incubation centre, a joint venture between Manchester College, Manchester Science Park and Manchester and Salford universities. Also benefitting from the Metrolink’s arrival is The Sharp Project, Manchester’s digital production complex, which adjacent to Central Park.

As well as the city centre, the new service Metrolink will connect Central Park quickly and efficiently with many areas of Greater Manchester.

The new Oldham line will call through Manchester city centre and then travel on to the South Manchester line, ending at St Werburgh's Road in Chorlton. Passengers can connect with services to Bury at Victoria and services to Altrincham, Eccles and MediaCityUK in Manchester city centre. They can also link up with bus services at Central Park and Shudehill, or heavy rail services at Manchester Victoria.

Eddie Smith, chief executive of urban regeneration company New East Manchester, said: “The arrival of Metrolink really strengthens Central Park as an office destination, bringing more jobs and investment to the East Manchester area.

Metrolink connecting to this prime location, just minutes from Manchester city centre will help to deliver significant regeneration benefits for local people.”