Castleton train service concerns

Castleton Railway Station

It is understand that the 7:21 train from Castleton is effectively going to be cancelled from the schedule next year.

This is the first train after the 6:25 to enable people to actually get to work for 8:00am.

The 7:33 train will not get to Manchester in time for workers starting at 8:00am.

The trains at that time in the morning are  packed full as it is so to take a train from the schedule will cause even more problems.

STORM has made strong representations and Councillors Ian Duckworth and Councillor Billy Sheerin, who are members of the GMITA Committee, took the matter up as did the appropriate Rochdale Council officer, Richard Chapman.

A spokesperson for pressure group STORM said: "The cost of train fares is £853 a year (due to go up again in January) to travel to and from Manchester and at that time in the morning you don't even get to sit down.

"This does not encourage people to use public transport, it encourages people to actually want to drive to work now.

"We are told that most of the problems have been addressed and the amended timetable has now been submitted by Northern to Network Rail for verification." 

However, STORM has not seen the proposed timetable as it is being kept under wraps.

The spokesperson added: "Thanks to contacts in West Yorkshire we have seen the proposed timetables for Saturdays and Sundays but we haven't seen that for weekdays.

"We do not know when it will be made public.

On Saturdays there will be a 07:26 from Castleton but this may not run on Mondays to Fridays - it remains to be seen."