Commuter relief as more carriages set for services

Aug 6 2007 by David Higgerson, Liverpool Daily Post

SOME of Merseyside’s most overcrowded rail services are to benefit from extra carriages, the Government has confirmed.

Services placed within the new East Midlands franchise, including the Liverpool to Norwich service, will have capacity increased to reduce overcrowding, the Department for Transport said.

Some rail experts believe the capacity may result in a 35% rise in seating on the services.

Details of the demand, placed within the franchise agreement the DfT has struck with new operator Stagecoach, are an unexpected surprise for transport bosses in the region, who had feared the key Liverpool-Manchester commuter rail route was becoming too packed.

The Liverpool to Norwich route travels via Manchester at least once an hour, and is currently operated by Central Trains.

Central will hand the franchise over to Stagecoach in November, and it is likely that the ‘new’ carriages will be refurbished hand-me-downs from other operators which have bought brand new trains.

Currently, 716,000 journeys a year are made between Liverpool and Manchester via three operators – Northern, Transpennine Express and Central – and Network Rail said it expected that to rise by 44% over the next decade.

On one of the two lines between Liverpool and Manchester, services would be carrying more than double their capacity if no changes were made.

Already, Northern has signed a deal with Merseytravel to bring in extra carriages, equal to 250,000 extra seats a year, onto its services between Liverpool and Manchester.

Transpennine, which travels on to York, Newcastle and Middlesbrough, is also looking to increase the lengths of its trains.

Seperately, Stagecoach has also pledged to increase rail fares on the route by a maximum of inflation plus one per cent.

A DoT spokesman said: “This agreement will increase value for money, improve performance and accommodate future growth in demand.”

At the same time, the Government has also awarded a new West Midlands franchise, which includes the Central-operated Liverpool-Birmingham route.

London and Birmingham Railway Ltd has been handed the franchise, promising a twice-hourly service between Liverpool and Birmingham – improving on the current timetable.

It has also promised new trains, and is also introducing a semi-fast service between London and Crewe, which will eventually be extended to Liverpool, allowing the Liverpool-London Virgin expresses to reduce the number of stops made in the Midlands and reduce travel time s.

All Birmingham services will stop at Liverpool South Parkway. That franchise will also start in November.

davidhiggerson