STORM questions 'service improvements'

Rochdale Train Station

STORM chairman Richard Greenwood said: “It was announced on Wednesday that the Northern Franchise will go to Arriva. The details of the new franchise are a disappointment to STORM and its members.

"In the great detail of service improvements across the Northern Rail area there is only one mention of stations local to Rochdale. It is that Moston will get its two trains per hour service back.

“There are to be through trains from Bradford to Chester, Liverpool, Manchester Airport and Southport but the document lists the 'key stations' to be served by these trains as Halifax, Hebden Bridge and Todmorden.

“These trains are obviously coming via Rochdale but no mention of calls at Rochdale, Littleborough or Mills Hill. Is it the intention for them to run through non-stop?

“One cannot imagine this is so in the case of Rochdale but the failure to mention Calder Valley stations outside West Yorkshire must throw doubt on the accuracy of the Department of Transport figures and traffic forecasts.

"The new franchise will be jointly run by the Department of Transport Leeds office and Rail North, also based in Leeds. The apparent lack of knowledge of these civil servants and officers based in Leeds as to the actual requirements of the Rochdale area especially Littleborough and Mills Hill does not bode well.

“Transport for Greater Manchester needs to take steps to make sure that West Yorkshire doesn't get all the improvements at the expense of Greater Manchester stations.

“Manchester Airport station was built by Greater Manchester using Council tax money. Yorkshire authorities and council tax payers did not contribute yet Yorkshire stations will have preference over Greater Manchester stations.

“STORM has invited a senior railwayman to check the passenger numbers and traffic flows from stations in the Rochdale area and compare them with the so-called ‘key stations’.

“There is a suspicion that Littleborough and Mills Hill each generate more traffic to Manchester than Halifax, Hebden Bridge and Todmorden put together."