The long suffering Manchester rail traveller was given a little bit of good news this morning when the regions major carrier Northern Rail announced that it will ve providing an additional 50 carriages from its December timetable change on the busiest routes across the North of England.
The extra capacity,says the Company, will help to alleviate crowding in the five main urban centres Northern serves (Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester and Sheffield) and the additional trains have been planned to serve the most crowded train services as a first priority.
On some services Northern will be doubling the capacity, providing four carriages where previously there have been two. To accommodate longer trains some stations, including Mossley in Greater Manchester, have had platform extensions.
Those services affected in Manchester are as follows
Marple – Manchester: over 1200 extra seats increasing the number of seats on eleven peak time services which call at Marple, Romiley, Bredbury, Brinnington and Reddish North; most of these trains run to Strines and New Mills Central. Six trains in the morning peak and five leaving Manchester in the afternoon and early evening will have extra seats.
Rose Hill – Manchester; over 440 extra seats increasing the number of seats on four peak time services which call at Rose Hill, Romiley, Woodley, Hyde Central, Hyde North, Guide Bridge and Fairfield. Three trains in the morning peak and one leaving Manchester in the afternoon will have extra seats.
Wigan – Manchester: over 600 extra seats increasing the number of seats on ten peak time services, which include two Southport services and two Kirkby services. Manchester commuters will benefit from extra seats on five trains in the morning peak and five in the afternoon and early evening.
Clitheroe – Manchester: over 350 extra seat Some peak time trains between Clitheroe and Manchester have already had some additional carriages provided since summer 2010.
Leeds – Manchester: 1100 extra seats increasing the number of seats on ten peak time services, most of which run on the route via Brighouse and Dewsbury and a couple which run via Bradford. Leeds and Manchester commuters will benefit from extra seats on six trains in the morning peak and four in the afternoon and early evening.
Liverpool – Manchester: 300 extra seats We're increasing the number of seats on eight peak time services, most of which run on the route via Warrington Central. Liverpool and Manchester commuters will benefit from extra seats on four trains in the morning peak and four in the afternoon and early evening.
Huddersfield – Stalybridge – Manchester: over 500 extra seats Four of the busiest services on this route have seen an increase of more than a hundred additional seats, with some of the changes introduced in summer 2010. A couple of other trains will see more modest increases. Three morning services and three afternoon peak trains will see increases that total over 500 additional seats.
Showing posts with label public transport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label public transport. Show all posts
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Government signals approval for the remedy to cross Manchester bus travel
From Transport for Greater Manchester press release
A major project that will significantly improve cross city bus travel in Greater Manchester has won funding from the Government.
The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, made in the House of Commons today, confirmed that the measures covered by the £54m Cross City Bus scheme can now go ahead.
It was one of 45 schemes competing for funding across the country.
The project, developed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) in partnership with Manchester City Council, Salford City Council and Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, will provide a package of improvements along three major bus routes:
Boothstown to Manchester via the A580 East Lancashire Road and A6 Broad Street/Crescent/Chapel Street;
Middleton Bus Station to Manchester via the A664 Manchester New Road and Rochdale Road; and,
East Didsbury to Manchester via Wilmslow Road and Oxford Road/Street.
A key aim of the scheme is to provide direct bus links across the city centre – so passengers will not have to change services or pay more than one fare – supported by infrastructure that will help to cut journey times and improve reliability.
In doing so, they will also provide better links between areas in the north, west and south of Greater Manchester and the education and health facilities on the Oxford Road corridor.
Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the TfGM Committee, said: “This scheme will play a crucial role in improving the journey times and reliability of bus services for parts of Salford, Middleton, North Manchester and South Manchester.
“This will, in turn, offer new and improved links to jobs, education, healthcare and leisure pursuits. By laying the foundations to encourage through-services to run we aim to make bus travel a more attractive, reasonable alternative to the car for these journeys.
“We have been competing with projects across the country for this funding and would have had to go back to square one if we weren’t successful, so I’m really pleased that all the effort and hard work that went into making our bid as attractive as possible have borne fruit.
“The Government has clearly seen the value of this project and the other schemes covered in today’s statement. It demonstrates the clear value of the unique Greater Manchester Transport Fund and just what can be achieved when all ten local authorities work together.”
Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese said: “This multi-million pound package will herald enormous improvements to bus services through the city centre, improving links between outer parts of the city region and jobs, education and healthcare facilities.
A major project that will significantly improve cross city bus travel in Greater Manchester has won funding from the Government.
The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, made in the House of Commons today, confirmed that the measures covered by the £54m Cross City Bus scheme can now go ahead.
It was one of 45 schemes competing for funding across the country.
The project, developed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) in partnership with Manchester City Council, Salford City Council and Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, will provide a package of improvements along three major bus routes:
Boothstown to Manchester via the A580 East Lancashire Road and A6 Broad Street/Crescent/Chapel Street;
Middleton Bus Station to Manchester via the A664 Manchester New Road and Rochdale Road; and,
East Didsbury to Manchester via Wilmslow Road and Oxford Road/Street.
A key aim of the scheme is to provide direct bus links across the city centre – so passengers will not have to change services or pay more than one fare – supported by infrastructure that will help to cut journey times and improve reliability.
In doing so, they will also provide better links between areas in the north, west and south of Greater Manchester and the education and health facilities on the Oxford Road corridor.
Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the TfGM Committee, said: “This scheme will play a crucial role in improving the journey times and reliability of bus services for parts of Salford, Middleton, North Manchester and South Manchester.
“This will, in turn, offer new and improved links to jobs, education, healthcare and leisure pursuits. By laying the foundations to encourage through-services to run we aim to make bus travel a more attractive, reasonable alternative to the car for these journeys.
“We have been competing with projects across the country for this funding and would have had to go back to square one if we weren’t successful, so I’m really pleased that all the effort and hard work that went into making our bid as attractive as possible have borne fruit.
“The Government has clearly seen the value of this project and the other schemes covered in today’s statement. It demonstrates the clear value of the unique Greater Manchester Transport Fund and just what can be achieved when all ten local authorities work together.”
Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese said: “This multi-million pound package will herald enormous improvements to bus services through the city centre, improving links between outer parts of the city region and jobs, education and healthcare facilities.
Monday, 17 October 2011
Train journey's continue to rise and companies blame the high price of petrol
Passenger numbers on the railways grew by 5.3 per cent% over the summer months according to figures published by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC).
They confirm that the railways are set for their busiest peacetime year since the 1920s with well over 1.3bn journeys expected to have been made by train by the end of 2011.
According to ATOC, one of the reasons behind the rise in rail travel is the continuing high price of petrol, leading more leisure travellers to switch from road to rail when taking summer breaks or day trips out with the family.
Increasing numbers of people are taking advantage of operators offering cheap Advance tickets for those who book early. Sales of these tickets have almost doubled in the last four years, with almost a million now bought every week.
Separate figures from ATOC show a surge in the number of people choosing to visit seaside resorts and beauty spots by rail, with passenger numbers on some small rural branch lines almost doubling over the last few years.
Overall, petrol prices rose slightly during the quarter. In September prices remained 18% higher than in the same month last year. This compares with an average rise in rail fares of 6.2% in January. The AA has calculated that drivers have cut their petrol consumption by more than 15% since the start of the recession.
They confirm that the railways are set for their busiest peacetime year since the 1920s with well over 1.3bn journeys expected to have been made by train by the end of 2011.
According to ATOC, one of the reasons behind the rise in rail travel is the continuing high price of petrol, leading more leisure travellers to switch from road to rail when taking summer breaks or day trips out with the family.
Increasing numbers of people are taking advantage of operators offering cheap Advance tickets for those who book early. Sales of these tickets have almost doubled in the last four years, with almost a million now bought every week.
Separate figures from ATOC show a surge in the number of people choosing to visit seaside resorts and beauty spots by rail, with passenger numbers on some small rural branch lines almost doubling over the last few years.
Overall, petrol prices rose slightly during the quarter. In September prices remained 18% higher than in the same month last year. This compares with an average rise in rail fares of 6.2% in January. The AA has calculated that drivers have cut their petrol consumption by more than 15% since the start of the recession.
Friday, 7 October 2011
Network rail consulting on the Northern Hub
I was at the launch of Network Rail's consultation process on the Northern Hub at the Museum of Science and Industry.
Launching the process,Graham Botham, Network Rail's Northern Hub boss told the audience that it was not a typical transport scheme,but was about the economy and what will make it grow.
Part of the scheme is already funded,the redevelopment of Manchester Victoria,the electrification of four separate lines and the Ordsall link
Botham told the press that more people are travelling into Manchester on the rail network than at any time since the second world war and investment in the network was needed to keep the North moving
New overtaking routes,speeding up lines and opening up the capacity for trains to travel through Manchester
The scheme is fully funded by the government would see 700 more trains a day,space for more than 44m people to travel by train each year,a £4.2bn boost to the northern economy and the creation of between 20,000-30000 additional jobs
For every pound spent on the scheme,four pounds would be generated by the economy.
Network rail is launching the consultation today across the NW.With the funding already in place,work could commence on in 2014 and will be operational by 2016
Victoria Station,once voted amongst the worst in the country will be transformed into a light,open safe interchange, with new shops and space for commercial premises.
Plans include a new roof and planning applications will be put in next March with work expected to start at the end of 2012.
As for electrification,so far only 40 per cent of the country’s railways are electrified.Over 300km of the NW’s tracks will be electrified in 4 phases to 2016
Manchester to Newton le willows
Newton to Liverpool
Huyton to Wigan
Preston to Blackpool
Victoria to Preston
In addition but awaiting further treasury funding are three to four additional platforms at Piccadilly station connecting to Oxford Road,and work on overtaking routes on the Sheffield and Marple lines.
The public can take a look at the plans for themselves at the following locations.
There are more details on the Northern Hub website and you can view a short video at You Tube
Launching the process,Graham Botham, Network Rail's Northern Hub boss told the audience that it was not a typical transport scheme,but was about the economy and what will make it grow.
Part of the scheme is already funded,the redevelopment of Manchester Victoria,the electrification of four separate lines and the Ordsall link
Botham told the press that more people are travelling into Manchester on the rail network than at any time since the second world war and investment in the network was needed to keep the North moving
New overtaking routes,speeding up lines and opening up the capacity for trains to travel through Manchester
The scheme is fully funded by the government would see 700 more trains a day,space for more than 44m people to travel by train each year,a £4.2bn boost to the northern economy and the creation of between 20,000-30000 additional jobs
For every pound spent on the scheme,four pounds would be generated by the economy.
Network rail is launching the consultation today across the NW.With the funding already in place,work could commence on in 2014 and will be operational by 2016
Victoria Station,once voted amongst the worst in the country will be transformed into a light,open safe interchange, with new shops and space for commercial premises.
Plans include a new roof and planning applications will be put in next March with work expected to start at the end of 2012.
As for electrification,so far only 40 per cent of the country’s railways are electrified.Over 300km of the NW’s tracks will be electrified in 4 phases to 2016
Manchester to Newton le willows
Newton to Liverpool
Huyton to Wigan
Preston to Blackpool
Victoria to Preston
In addition but awaiting further treasury funding are three to four additional platforms at Piccadilly station connecting to Oxford Road,and work on overtaking routes on the Sheffield and Marple lines.
The public can take a look at the plans for themselves at the following locations.
There are more details on the Northern Hub website and you can view a short video at You Tube
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Osborne ups the anti on the green budget
A green theme to the blog this morning.
According to George Osborne
The Labour plan announced today is like giving people a grant to buy an internal combustion engine, without bothering to set up any petrol stations.
Hot on the heels of the government's announcements on electric cars,shadow chancellor George Osborne has been telling the country what green issues a Conservative chancellor would tackle if he was standing at the dispatch box next week.
The main stay appears to be a grant of £6,500 for every home to increase energy efficiency which would be paid for in the resultant fuel bill savings.
As a response to the electric car news,he committs the Tories to a the creation of a national recharging network for electric vehicles.
But also something that we are not hearing from Labour,investment in public transport.
A Tory governmnet would start work on plans for a new high speed rail network initially between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds which would be funded through a public-private partnership to enable construction to begin as soon as possible.
Thursday, 19 February 2009
The age of the train-I don't think so
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I heard a comment on the radio from the government this morning saying that prices for rail customers have to be balanced against the cost to the taxpayer.
What does that mean? Surely they are one in the same person or is the government trying to say that the railways are only for the lower classes.
Rail prices are too high.Often I will make a decision to travel by car because that is the cheapest option.
As for the argument that tickets can be a lot more cheaper purchased in advance,well how many people can pre plan their journey up to 9 weeks in advance.
It is correct that subsidy should go to capacity but let us remember.The rail network by private companies and as such it is their job to match demand capacity and price.
Northern Trains which I use a lot is a case in point.They are using rolling stock that is 30 years old.They were given a 9 year contract to run trains in this region.(One of the train companies arguments was that the franchise periods were too short for planning strategy)
There has been no noticeable investment in the network,save new electronic signs at the stations and employing securicor agents to check tickets constantly.
The government has not got the rail strategy correct.Increased prices will deter additional customers as will lack of investment
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