SOUTHPORT TO PICCADILLY DIRECT SERVICE UNDER CONSIDERATION IN VARIATION TO CONSULTATION OPTION
GREATER MANCHESTER Mayor Andy Burnham has criticised proposals put forward by the Manchester Recovery Task Force (MRTF), which is leading work to reconfigure timetables and develop infrastructure options to improve performance and capacity in the North West.
Mr Burnham, who was re-elected as Mayor following the election on 6 May, was addressing Transport for the North’s board on 16 April, following a private meeting of the Rail North committee earlier that day. Mr Burnham told the board the three timetable options consulted on as part of the MRTF’s work (p62, March issue) were not deliverable, and that an alternative option that had been put forward by the rail industry had not been fully modelled or considered for its economic impact.
The consultation on the three options closed on 10 March, with the work led by the Department for Transport and Network Rail in conjunction with train operators and Transport for the North. A DfT spokesperson said it was incorrect to say all the options within the consultation are undeliverable, adding: ‘We are examining responses to a consultation on all options, which will i…
