Rail shake-up promises better services

Greenfield railway station - shake-up of services under the new franchises

NEW franchises are expected to offer better services for passengers through Greenfield and Rochdale train stations.

The franchises, run by Arriva Rail North and First TransPennine Express begin on Friday and mark the start of a £1.2 billion investment. They will be managed by the Department for Transport and Rail North.

Sir Richard Leese, chairman of the Association of Rail North Partner Authorities, said the move “marks the start of better rail services for the North and of much greater local control over the development of these services.”

Rail North Partnership will introduce new trains, more than 500 new carriages and remove unpopular Pacer trains by 2019. Over the next four years 140 new trains will join the network, offering 40,000 new passenger seats at the busiest times and improving off-peak services.