GMITA welcomes ‘Rail in the North’ group

Date published: 12 March 2010

Manchester transport leaders have welcomed plans for a new ‘Rail in the North’ cross-party group, to be established among Members of Parliament after the next general election.

Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) expressed its support for the proposed group, which will campaign for more investment in the north’s rail network.

Councillor Keith Whitmore, Chair of GMITA, said: “The growth in rail travel in Manchester is testament to the importance rail has had to the economy of the city region over the past decade. With this growth come the challenges of providing more capacity both on the trains and the network.

“These issues are shared across much of the north, so we see real value in the northern MPs joining forces to pursue this agenda. It is crucial that the renaissance of rail in the north becomes a priority in future transport plans.

“Last month’s Northern Hub report outlined a clear strategy for improvements to the region’s rail services and infrastructure, but significant investment will be necessary for these plans to be put into practice.

“Furthermore, we must secure government commitment to provide the extra rail carriages we desperately need to ease overcrowding on commuter services. The Department for Transport has announced this week that it will be funding some more rolling stock for certain peak-time services – but we will still need to see a firm commitment to many more new carriages in the near future.

“London and the south east have seen considerable rail expansion in recent years. We look forward to working with this group as part of our ongoing work to push for similar investment in the north.”