Train plan hits the buffers

Trains at Rochdale Train Station

An order for more than 100 extra train carriages bound for the north to ease overcrowding has been axed.

Two years ago, Gordon Brown’s Government promised an extra 1,300 train carriages across the country, of which 647 have either been brought in or are on order.

Now the rest of that order has been “paused” after the Department for Transport was ordered to slash £683m from its budget by the end of March — part of £6.2bn of overall savings.

Of the 1,300 carriages, Northern Rail — which operates local and interurban services across the area — was due to receive 106, with a further 24 allocated to TransPennine Express, according to information given to MPs.

Just 18 of Northern’s carriages have been delivered or ordered — and none of those due to TransPennine Express — which means 112 appear to have been lost to the region.

The extra carriages were a key plank of a £10bn strategy to expand the rail network. Around 60 per cent of peak-hour arrivals on Northern Rail services are thought to carry standing passengers. However, there is better news on Virgin’s West Coast service, where 106 carriages have already been delivered, or will be soon.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of the consumer group Passenger Focus, said: “Passengers travelling on busy, overcrowded services will be disappointed.”

A Dft spokesman said: “We will not be going forward with any carriages not already ordered during 2010-11. We will be announcing what happens after 2011 in due course.”

Labour has accused the Tories of breaking its election promise to tackle train overcrowding.