Image supply, David Dixon/Geograph
Salford Crescent railway station is in line for an upgrade
A railway station within the north of England is to be upgraded and tracks might be refurbished, whereas a long-promised platform challenge is scrapped.
The Department for Transport mentioned £72m might be spent on the revamp to cut back delays, together with a 3rd platform at Salford Crescent.
Network Rail mentioned it had shelved plans for 2 new platforms at Manchester Piccadilly to hurry up the method.
Mayor Andy Burnham criticised the choice to scrap the plans.
The funding may also see further platform entry and exit factors at Manchester Victoria Station.
‘New strategy’
The authorities mentioned that may make it simpler for passengers to journey by the station throughout busier intervals.
Network Rail mentioned it had withdrawn plans courting again greater than a decade for platforms 15 and 16 at Manchester Piccadilly to resolve the crippling rail congestion, the Local Democracy Reporting Service mentioned.
The plans for brand new platforms at Manchester Piccadilly are greater than a decade outdated
Managing director Tim Shoveller mentioned it was “really positive” information, “allowing us to get on with fixing the infrastructure around central Manchester so we can run trains more reliably”.
“We’re removing our previous planning application so we can move forward with a new approach, something we’ll be consulting residents and businesses on later in the year,” he added.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper mentioned in November “there was a “actual drawback”” to resolve” on the railways in the North after meeting the mayors of West and South Yorkshire, Manchester, Liverpool and North of Tyne who had demanded an end to the “chaos” on the area’s rail community.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham informed BBC Radio Manchester the cash was “welcome” but it was a “drop within the ocean with regards to rail”.
“It is a obligatory funding to help the economic system. It is welcome however it’s nowhere close to what Manchester must kind out our rail.”
Regarding scrapping the plans for Piccadilly, he mentioned plans to develop the station would proceed to be a ambition for regional leaders.
“It is completely congested and we as a metropolis area are completely dedicated to platforms 15 and 16,” he mentioned.
Rail Minister Huw Merriman mentioned: “This new funding will assist make trains companies extra dependable for the folks of Manchester and past, marking one other milestone in a decade’s value of rail enhancements throughout the area.”
Analysis
By Annabel Tiffin, BBC North West Tonight political editor
Any funding is welcome as passengers within the North West have had sufficient of delays and disruption and £72m isn’t a determine to be sniffed at.
But is the federal government giving with one hand and taking away with one other?
For a decade, there have been plans for 2 new platforms at Manchester Piccadilly and an upgrade of Oxford Road and now they have been scrapped.
Network Rail’s been informed to return to the drafting board and give you another choice and Mayor Andy Burnham is definitely not happy.
He informed me he’d been blindsided by this announcement and hadn’t recognized something about it till immediately.
Any funding is nice, however the temper amongst Manchester’s leaders and some rail consultants is we’d like fewer bulletins and extra shovels within the floor to have a really built-in rail system within the North West.
