Arriving next... our first new station in 25 years?

THE first railway station to be built in 25 years in Greater Manchester is just one Whitehall signature away.

- GEORGE LYTHGOE

Golborne Station is no 'pie in the sky' idea according to Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who is waiting on a sign-off from government before the vision of regenerating his hometown as a commuter hub can become a reality.

Both Burnham and Leigh's MP James Grundy, despite being on opposite sides of the political track, have the same direction in mind for the station - which is to reconnect it to Manchester, improving connectivity just for the town itself, but the wider Leigh area.

Golborne, which sits on the border of Cheshire and Greater Manchester, had a station that closed fully in 1967 and the old platforms can still be seen today.

With no direct bus, train or tram services to Manchester, the isolated town on the edge of Wigan could see big regeneration benefits if a flagship station was to open.

Despite the arrival of the Leigh Guided Busway in 2016, providing a new transport option for Leythers, the area around the Golborne end of the Leigh constituency is still 'majorly underserved' for connectivity, according to Burnham. He and the Leigh MP believe there is a strong justification for the station to be built near High Street.