Regional rail network on agenda at Labour Party Conference

Date published: 19/09/2007

The region's rail network on agenda at Labour Party Conference Greater Manchester's transport leaders will call for overcrowding on local rail services to be tackled as a priority at the Labour Party Conference next week.

The number of journeys made by train passengers in Greater Manchester has more than doubled over the past decade, resulting in a daily struggle to find a seat for many commuters.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority, the North West Rail Campaign and Northern Rail are holding a series of meetings at all three major party conferences to discuss the issue with MPs.

Tom Harris MP (Transport Minister), Councillor Roger Jones (Chair of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority), Heidi Mottram (Managing Director of Northern Rail), and Manchester MPs Tony Lloyd and Graham Stringer will lead a debate at the Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth on Monday 24 September.

Councillor Jones said: "Greater Manchester's economy is going from strength to strength, with an extra 210,000 jobs predicted by 2021. This will lead to a big increase in the number of commuters using public transport and it's vital that our local rail services can cope.

"Up to 50 percent of passengers are already unable to get a seat on some rush-hour services. If nothing is done to provide more carriages, we will be faced with increased overcrowding on our trains and increased congestion on our roads.

"We need extra carriages, more reliable services and better stations so that Greater Manchester can stay at the heart of a growing economy in the North West. The Government's Rail White Paper sets out a vision for improving the rail network. The challenge for us now is to make sure that vision becomes a reality as quickly as possible in Greater Manchester."

Passengers now make more than 23 million journeys on rail services to and from Manchester every year. More than 26,000 train passengers travel into Manchester between 7am and 10am during weekdays, including more than 15,000 between 8am and 9am.

Greater Manchester's bid to the Government's Transport Innovation Fund sets out a vision for a £3 billion investment in transport and the introduction of congestion charging. The bid, which is currently being assessed by the Department for Transport, includes proposals for longer trains on all major rail routes in the county.

The Government has also recently outlined a 30-year strategy for rail in its White Paper. It has pledged to provide 1,300 extra carriages by 2014, upgrade 150 stations at a total cost of £150 million, and increase capacity on commuter trains serving Manchester.