New trains hope comes off rails

OLDHAM is doomed to remain second-class as far as the railway is concerned.

Operator Northern Rail has admitted that although there are plans to bring in extra carriages to ease the overcrowding which sees passengers regularly left behind at stations like Greenfield and Mills Hill, there is no immediate prospect of new trains to bring down the age of the fleet — which includes the infamous 30-year-old Pacer.

Asked about modernising Northern’s ageing fleet of trains, Mark Barker, client and stakeholder manager, told a meeting of Transport for Greater Manchester: “We are in discussion with the Department for Transport for extra carriages but they will be a fairly similar vintage to what we have now.

“It will give us more seats but not newer trains. I do not see that happening towards the end of this franchise.”

Northern will hold the franchise until September, 2013, when a new operator will take over unless it wins the contract again.

Mr Barker did refer to the likely arrival of younger diesel trains when they are freed up by the electrification of the Manchester to Liverpool, Preston, and Blackpool lines in 2013.

The average age of the rolling stock on the Northern Rail franchise is currently 25.7 years.