THE Government plans for an “HS3” connecting together the Northern cities (Bolton News, October 27), have according to the national press been publicly backed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, himself a northern MP, who wants the new line to help the region become what he calls a "Northern Powerhouse".
But the Department of Transport is working in the entirely opposite direction. Under draft proposals for new rail franchises in the North there is to be no investment in new trains unless they are paid for by efficiency savings (cuts?). The proposals also impose no obligation on the new franchisee to eliminate either the present massive overcrowding or the shortage of trains.
The situation in Bolton recently got worse. Twelve Manchester trains were diverted away, temporarily because of electrification, we thought. The franchise proposals now make that permanent. The outcry about the overcrowding was such that the Prime Minister had to answer Parliamentary questions about Bolton’s rail services. He promised something would be done.
The new rail franchise offers the opportunity to do exactly that. But all that is envisaged is the future cascade of 30 years old surplus trains from London and elsewhere. The worry is that the Department of Transport will award the franchise to whomever bids the lowest subsidy and bidders can only win if they keep with cheap, old, overcrowded, cast off trains.
The Prime Minister and the Chancellor should now act fast to get the Secretary of State for Transport to come on side and rewrite the franchise proposals so that the North receives the rail services it needs to fulfil the Chancellor’s admirable vision.
People need to make their views known. Readers who care about Bolton’s rail services can write to the Chancellor and/or the Prime Minister as soon as possible. The final documents for the new franchise will be produced soon and after that it will be too late. The postal addresses are 11 and 10 Downing Street, London SW1 and e-mail addresses can be found on the Internet.
J. Davies
Egerton
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