Rail commuter anger grows as misery goes on
7:20am Monday 19th January 2009 in Search Module By Paul Keaveny
PASSENGERS have reacted with fury after a train operator admitted that Bolton commuters could be stuck on overcrowded trains for the next five years.
Northern Rail has said it cannot do anything to solve the problem of packed rush-hour trains without the consent of the Government to increase train capacity — and that may not happen until 2014.
A special report in Saturday’s The Bolton News showed how commuters were having to squeeze on to “standing room only” trains from Bolton. Now passengers have logged on to The Bolton News website to have their say.
Amosc99 said: “I frequently use the train between Manchester Airport and Bolton and between Bolton and Manchester and every train I seem to catch I have to stand, whether it be daytime off-peak or even evening off-peak. Plus the trains are far too small and talk about the frequency of trains — just ridiculous.”
Rivvyrover said: “Any company carrying cattle in the conditions experienced by Bolton's rail commuters would be heavily fined.”
And David Cullen added: “Since the change in the timetable, Northern Rail have taken the 8.10 train off, leaving the 7.49 which is the most popular train for commuters travelling from Lostock to Manchester.
“The next train is the 8.20 which is cutting it fine to get in to work for 9am.They have increased the carriages from four to six, but nevertheless I cannot get a seat.”
Northern Rail said it was under pressure because passenger numbers had grown by 31 per cent since it won the bid to run the north of England’s rail services in 2004 .
The increase had massively out-stripped forecasts, causing misery for commuters.
The Government has announced that there will be another 182 carriages for Northern Rail some time between 2009 and 2014, increasing the fleet by one third.
