Mellor Buses in Rochdale was the perfect place for the Chancellor to unveil the biggest investment in public transport for a generation.

As part of a £15.6 billion transport investment package for England’s city regions, the Chancellor confirmed that Greater Manchester will receive £2.5 billion – the largest single allocation in the country – to expand and modernise the city region’s public transport system. The investment will support the next phase of the Bee Network and deliver tangible improvements for communities right across Greater Manchester.

The Chancellor used her speech at Mellor to highlight Rochdale’s central role in delivering this national ambition, stating: “Investment in Greater Manchester will help make the Bee Network – built here in Rochdale – the UK’s first fully integrated zero-emission public transport system by 2030.” She added that the funding would open up new connections for “people in Bury, in Heywood, in Rochdale and in Oldham to the tens of thousands of new jobs in the Northern Gateway.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham also singled out Rochdale’s role in his remarks, calling Mellor “an example of how the Bee Network is reindustrialising Rochdale and Greater Manchester.” He confirmed that the new funding will deliver a tram-train service linking Oldham, Rochdale, Heywood – which has not previously been on the Metrolink system – and Bury. He described this as part of a broader plan to integrate eight rail lines and 64 stations into the Bee Network and deliver a fully electric, zero-emission system by the end of the decade.

Paul Waugh MP, whose Rochdale constituency includes Mellor Buses, welcomed the announcement. “This is a proud day for Rochdale,” he said. “I’ve consistently championed Mellor Buses as a model of the kind of industry we need to back — creating good jobs and offering real opportunity for young people. I’m delighted that the Chancellor came to our town to make this announcement. It shows that Rochdale matters, and that investment in public transport means investment in local businesses and workers too.”

Paul recently met Mellor apprentices Harvey and Alan at the Rochdale Training Learner Awards 2025, where both were recognised for their achievements in clean vehicle engineering. Today’s announcement shows how investment in transport infrastructure is also an investment in the young people and industries who will deliver it.

The £2.5 billion allocated to Greater Manchester will fund the Metrolink extension to Stockport, new tram stops in Bury, Oldham and north Manchester, and the purchase of 1,000 new electric buses. It will also support the full integration of rail into the Bee Network’s capped fare system and deliver better connections to jobs, homes and services across the city region. Treasury reforms to the Green Book – due to be published on 11 June – are expected to ensure towns like Rochdale receive a fairer assessment in future government investment decisions.