A report by Transport for Greater Manchester has found Rochdale’s modern bus interchange was pivotal to the borough’s most significant urban regeneration project in decades
The relocation of Rochdale Interchange played a central role in the borough’s transformation and helped unlock nearly £250m of town centre redevelopment, according to a new evaluation report.
Transport for Greater Manchester’s study shows that the £12m investment in the modern interchange facility, opened in 2013, allowed land at the former bus station to be repurposed for the award-winning Rochdale Riverside shopping and leisure complex.
The report credits the new Interchange as being instrumental in enabling the delivery of the borough’s wider regeneration masterplan – including developments at Upper Banks, where a Hampton by Hilton hotel and hundreds of new apartments are being built.
Overall satisfaction among passengers has doubled compared to the old station, while the number of people who feel safe waiting for buses after dark has soared from 45% to 93%. Stakeholders and town centre businesses were also widely positive, with the new Interchange hailed as a “gateway” to the town.
Councillor Danny Meredith, cabinet member for regeneration and housing at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “The new interchange is a major part of the wider regeneration of Rochdale town centre and was a catalyst for the huge amount of investment this area has enjoyed in recent years, which has transformed it beyond all recognition.”
Paul Ambrose, Manager of Rochdale BID, added: “It is a first-class facility that is safe and welcoming, and sits impressively alongside key town centre regeneration schemes… Together, these projects have significantly increased the number of people living, working, and visiting Rochdale.”
The report also found the Interchange had set a new standard for public transport hubs in Greater Manchester, serving as a model for similar developments in Stockport and Bury.
Rochdale's improved public transport infrastructure is credited with boosting connectivity and helping deliver better access across the borough, supporting ambitions for sustainable growth and a thriving local economy.
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