Mayor blasts planned rail cuts

THE Mayor of Oldham has hit out at planned revisions to train services on the Huddersfield line.

Councillor Richard Knowles said plans to reduce the number of trains that stop at every station along the line will sever ties for commuters travelling from Greenfield.

The idea is being put forward by Network Rail in a bid to increase to six an hour the number of trans-Pennine Express trains from Leeds to Manchester.

Councillor Knowles said this could potentially hinder travellers wanting to travel from Greenfield to Marsden, Mossley, Manchester Victoria and Ashton.

He added: “Investment in extra rail capacity as part of the Northern Hub was supposed to benefit local rail services, not destroy or weaken them.

“These proposals are totally unacceptable and need to be rejected now.

“The original Northern Hub proposals to reopen the two disused single-line Stanedge Tunnels would allow expresses to overtake local trains and enable the local services to be doubled from hourly to half hourly off-peak and the number of expresses to be increased.”

This, he said, is something for which local groups and Transport for Greater Manchester should now be campaigning.