Train safety held up by red tape

RED tape is holding up safety measures promised to passengers at an Oldham railway station three years ago — even though the money to pay for them is available.

Mills Hill is one of 10 stations waiting for CCTV, a public address system, customer information screens and help points in a scheme devised at the end of 2006.

Almost £600,000 is waiting to be spent by Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority on the stations but work cannot start because of bureaucracy.

The authority, which has persuaded the Government to pay a quarter of the costs, is not allowed to do the work itself because of rail safety regulations.

It has to be carried out by either the station’s owners Network Rail or train operators Northern Rail.

The designs are identical to the work already carried out but now Network Rail and Northern have signed a new tenancy agreement which demands even more closed-circuit TV cameras.

Talks are on-going between Network Rail and the ITA but bus and rail director Mike Renshaw described the situation as “disappointing”.

“We are continuing to express our dismay that they have managed to get into a position which is threatening the only way to improve these stations.

“Bluntly, this is the only show in town in terms of the investment which is going to happen.”