Back-track fears over train coaches promise

Plans to ease overcrowding in danger of coming off the rails

CONCERN is growing that the Government is about to renege on its promise to ease overcrowding for Oldham’s rail passengers by sending more carriages to the region.

The future looked bright only three months ago when the Government announced that it has set up a new company to speed up the building of more than 200 new diesel train carriages.

But now local transport officials say that talks are faltering and they fear that, far from negotiating how many new trains are to be sent here, they are battling to keep what we have now.

They are so worried that they are threatening to blow the whistle on secret talks with the Government and have written to new Transport Secretary Lord Adonis demanding more support for the region.

Ironically, at stake are the “Oldham Five” fleet of Pacer trains which could be sent to another part of the country when the Oldham loop line closes down in October for conversion to Metrolink. Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority deputy clerk Steven Clark, who has been in talks with the Department for Transport, admitted that government officials have so far not agreed that the trains can be used to relieve overcrowding elsewhere in Greater Manchester and could be shipped out to another part of the country.

With lines between Manchester and Oldham, Rochdale, Stalybridge, Hyde North, Reddish North, Stockport, Manchester Airport, Urmston, Eccles and Salford Crescent among the most overcrowded in Britain, the authority is to lobby all three party conferences this autumn for a better deal on rail for the region.