Extra carriages ‘vital’ to meet demand

OVERCROWDING . . . at Mills Hill station

MINISTERS are being urged their keep their promise to ease the region’s overcrowded trains.
The Department for Transport (DfT) proposed 1,300 new carriages for the national rail network between 2009 and 2014.

These included 182 for Northern Rail services and 42 for TransPennine Express services which serve Greater Manchester.

However, it cut Northern’s allocation by around half last year and has not confirmed how many will be received by TransPennine. In July, the Government announced the electrification of parts of the rail network and promised that electric carriages would be provided in the future.

This work is not scheduled to begin until 2013 and completed until around 2017 — with no commitment on additional rolling stock in the meantime.

Transport bosses at Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority say that extra carriages are vital to ease over-crowding and meet growing demand.

A cross-party delegation of members and MPs will meet transport secretary Lord Adonis next Wednesday to urge the Government to fulfil its original promise.

Councillor Keith Whitmore, GMITA chairman, said: “Despite the recent recession, passenger numbers are still increasing on our rail network, and there is undoubtedly potential for much greater growth.

“While we welcome the move towards electrification, that alone will simply not be enough to meet future demand for rail services in Greater Manchester – and it will also be several years in the making. Extra capacity in the form of new carriages is already overdue. Passengers need a solution now.”