AN influential think tank says rail congestion around Bolton and Greater Manchester could be costing the region up to £16 billion.

Northern Way, a body made up of three northern development agencies, says busy tracks around Manchester Piccadilly station — including those going into the city from Bolton — are delaying trains between cities in the north.

It has published the first stage of its study into the Manchester Hub, the network in and around the city’s two main stations Piccadilly and Victoria.

One of the key objectives set out in the report is supporting growth across Greater Manchester by improving access to the key town centres, such as Bolton.

Northern Way also says a number of improvements need to be made to ensure that: l Rail franchisees meet Department for Transport performance targets.

Expected demand growth of 39 per cent by 2020 is met.

Carbon emissions are reduced.

Rail travel becomes a quicker alternative to car journeys.

Links between Manchester airport and the rest of the region are improved.

Professor David Begg, chairman of advisory body the Northern Transport Compact, said: “A feasible package of measures that includes greater connectivity across Manchester would bring between £13bn and £16bn economic benefits for the north of England and beyond.

“Growth in rail demand is highest in Manchester local commuter markets, and the greatest rates of benefits are on the main corridors linking the North’s seven other city regions with Manchester.”

The report has been welcomed by Bolton Council leader Cllr Cliff Morris who said town hall chiefs across Greater Manchester were already looking into how to fund the improvements.

He said: “We are looking at ways we can improve our transport network and this is part of that. Had we got funding from the Transport Innovation Fund then we would have been able to make some of these improvements.

“The TIF bid was rejected (all 10 boroughs voted against congestion charge-linked funding) so now we have to look at other ways of getting the funding in.”

The Northern Way is a coalition set up in 2004 by the Northwest Development Agency, One NorthEast and Yorkshire Forward.

andrew.greaves@ theboltonnews.co.uk