Good news for train users
Wigan commuter trains will soon be less of a strain at peak time The Government has announced extra carriages to reduce congestion and standing up on rush hour services between Wallgate and Manchester.
Transport Minister Sadiq Khan's announcement means that cash will now be used to allow carriages from the former Oldham Loop line –which has been converted to light rail trams – to be used on some of the region's busiest commuter routes.
The Department for Transport announcement builds on Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority's own initiative last October to make good use of some of these carriages.
Chairman of GMITA Coun Keith Whitmore said: "This is welcome news for commuters, and a promising first step towards easing the overcrowding on peak time trains. It will mean that passengers on 15 services every day across the county will be able to travel on longer trains from July this year – that's capacity for an extra 959 passengers during the morning peak and a similar increase in the evenings.
"We will need to see much more of this kind of investment if we are to meet current and future demand for rail travel in the region. Rail travel has increased by almost 70% over the past decade, and we will need more carriages in the very near future to accommodate that growth.
The DfT funding announced today will lengthen trains on peak time services to and from Wigan, New Mills, Huddersfield, Southport, Clitheroe, Todmorden, Marple and Blackburn, as well as an evening peak time service between Leeds and Huddersfield.
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Weather for Wigan
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South
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Cloudy
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