Rail report calls for significant investment in the North

Resolving the ‘Manchester Hub’ and providing clear guidance on when extra carriages will come should be key priorities for Government if heavy rail is to realise its full potential, according to a report recently published.

Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) has welcomed the House of Commons’ Transport Committee report, entitled Priorities for Investment in the Railways.

It recommends that the Government should address the capacity constraints at the ‘Manchester Hub’ – the bottleneck in the North’s rail network – and also calls for Ministers to set out their rolling stock plans as a matter of urgency.

Councillor Keith Whitmore, Chairman of GMITA, said: “This report has our full backing and we would like to see it acted upon urgently. It sets out the case for much-needed and sustained investment in both infrastructure and rolling stock in the North.

“There are two crucial elements to realising the full potential of our heavy rail network: a comprehensive and coherent plan for increasing track capacity across the North – through the Manchester Hub – whilst at the same time providing more carriages to support the growth in demand already being witnessed.

“We have seen a resurgence in demand for rail over the past decade, with around 70 per cent more people choosing to travel by train in Greater Manchester, despite relatively low levels of investment. But that growth has come at a price – services are severely overcrowded and the network is, at peak times, operating at capacity, with passengers enduring misery on their daily commute.

“This report shows what must be done to address those issues if we are going to maintain and build on that demand, and it gives real strength to our aim to secure investment by the Government – ensuring that rail fulfils its potential to underpin the Northern economy and encourage more people to make the switch to public transport.”