I READ with amazement the letter (April 24) from Mr Brian Lefley ("Metro expansion is moving at a snail's pace"), which criticised one of Manchester's greatest success stories in such a misleading fashion.

Since opening in 1992 as the first modern British tram system, Metrolink has been a major success, being used by more passengers every year, and far more than initially forecast. The Bury-Altrincham line has attracted well over 13 million passenger journeys a year (a huge leap from the 7.5 million who used the heavy rail lines Metrolink was converted from) and the Eccles extension is showing promising signs of replicating this success.

In fact, from Metrolink's pioneering success, every major urban area in England has either opened, or is planning, its own light rail system.

GMPTE is currently in the middle of the tendering process for "single contract" Metrolink, which will mean the system will more than treble in size within the next five to six years, with lines being built out to Oldham and Rochdale, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Airport. This package of works is worth £513 million, £326 million of which has been secured from the Government and the remainder from the private sector. For Mr Lefley to imply that the expansion of Metrolink is being held up by an inability to raise funds from the private sector is plainly wrong. This is what the tendering process if all about, securing the best value for the public purse.

The Metrolink single contract has attracted enormous interest and, while we have secured all the public funds necessary, there can be little doubt that the private sector funding will be achieved, thus enabling us to realise our dream of expanding Metrolink. GMPTE has already short-listed four bidders for the contract and expects to appoint the successful consortia by the end of 2002.

To address another of Mr Lefley's complaints, while government funding was approved too late for Metrolink itself to serve the Commonwealth Games, an innovative Fastlink bus service is being considered to get people efficiently to the city centre, using the route that forms part of the Ashton-under-Lyne Metrolink. As work on parts of the Fastlink route are imminent, and this forms part of the Metrolink scheme, then it is true to say that the next phase of Metrolink is almost under way.

As for the spur to The Lowry, this extension may well be built as part of the Metrolink single contract and we are also negotiating with bidders to build lines to East Didsbury and the Trafford Centre as part of this third phase of Metrolink's expansion.

On a concluding note, I would like to assure your readers that within the next five to six years, Metrolink will become an even more established feature of Greater Manchester's landscape, bringing its many benefits to millions more who live and work in the county.

GEOFF INSKIP,

deputy director and

Metrolink project director, GMPTE.