Still room for improvement on train overcrowding — Knowles

EVEN more carriages will be needed to reduce overcrowding on Greater Manchester’s “sardine specials.”

That’s the view of Councillor Richard Knowles, the opposition leader on Transport for Greater Manchester, after the Chronicle revealed passengers at Greenfield Station are to benefit from extra carriages.

Northern Rail is introducing 22 carriages in December on some of its busiest services in and around Manchester.

They include the two morning services from Huddersfield to Manchester, which stop at Greenfield and Mossley, having an extra carriage each providing 52 extra seats in total. And on four return services in the afternoon, from Manchester to Huddersfield, there will be 161 extra seats.

There have been numerous complaints about the overcrowded trains to Manchester being “sardine specials.”

Councillor Knowles says the extra carriages will reduce overcrowding but more are needed.

The Lib-Dem councillor said: “Train passengers in Greater Manchester were badly let down by the last government which failed to deal with terrible overcrowding on many local trains.

“These extra carriages are very welcome and follow sustained lobbying of ministers and train companies and earlier successes in securing more carriages.

“I have met the Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond and Transport Minister Norman Baker to make the case for investment in extra train carriages. These extra carriages will reduce some of the worst overcrowding but more carriages are still needed. The campaign continues to secure more trains, longer trains and longer train platforms at stations which can only safely accommodate two-carriage trains at present. I have repeatedly urged ministers to secure an order for new diesel railcar carriages as part of the re-franchising of Northern and TransPennine Express train services when the new franchises start in 2014.

“This will be the best opportunity to secure a lot more, new and better-quality carriages.”