Government U-turn on carriages means more over-crowding on Walkden trains

As reported in last week’s Manchester Evening News, the Department of Transport appear to have reneged on their commitment to provide Northern Rail with 180 new carriages in the next couple of years. According to transport chiefs at GMPTE the government are now saying only 106 carriages will be provided – that’s a reduction of over 40%.

This is bound to adversely affect Northern Rail’s ability to introduce new trains on routes around Manchester which, like the Walkden line, are suffering overcrowding in peak hours and also off-peak sometimes too.

We urge anyone concerned by this let-down to write to their MP asking him or her to protest to the Department of Transport and fight for the full allocation of desperately needed new carriages for local train services.

An appeal from a fellow passenger

FOWS recently received this “Open Letter to Rail users boarding Manchester bound trains at Walkden Station in the morning”.

The author’s central point is valid … it’s courteous and common-sense to let people off the train before trying to board. Of course Walkden’s not the only place where this happens, but let’s see if we can make an improvement (before anyone gets injured !)

Dear FOWS

Every morning I drive the short journey from home to Pemberton near Wigan where I get the train to Walkden. When I get on the train I politely stand away from the doors to let people off the train before I get on. Treat others as you would have them treat yourselves. People from where I come from do small things that; It goes a long way.

When arriving at Walkden station, & attempting to leave the train, I have given up politely asking “excuse me” to the groups of people on the platform who ignorantly crowd around the doors, making it so difficult for other people off the train first. I have given up saying “Excuse me!!” in a slightly forced aggravated tone of voice at the jobsworth businessmen who stand directly infront of the doors, completely blocking the path of people getting off the train because they are late for their sales meeting & desparate to get a seat so they can have a loud work related mobile phone conversation for the entire duration of their journey. I have thought long and hard about saying “excuse me – I have just broken wind!” in order to get a clean exit from the train without people blocking my path. I have even considered strapping on a parachute & exiting the train mid-journey becaue that is the type of guy I am. Failing all other options, I press the button marked “open”, put my head down, brace myself, & walk. Pick up speed and just walk forward. They soon move out of the way. No doubt I shall let you know how my game of human skittles progresses.

I just wish to pass on the message to people from Walkden that **IT IS COMMON COURTESY & SIMPLE HUMAN POLITELNESS TO LET PEOPLE OFF THE TRAIN BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO GET ON!!**

Peak passenger numbers rocket 23% in one year

FOWS’ annual survey of passenger numbers conducted last Thursday recorded 511 passengers using the station between the first train at 0629 and 1330 -  representing a massive 19% increase from 2007.

The increase was even more pronounced in the morning peak (from 0730 to 0930) where numbers rose 23% from 242 to 298.

Although our survey only provides a snapshot on a single day, we have surveyed on the same day of the week and at the same time of year in order to make year-on-year comparisons as meaningful as possible. In combination with GMPTE’s survey figures the trend over the last 5 years is unmistakable, with peak time commuter travel from Walkden to Manchester having more than doubled (up 110%) in just 4 years.

For full details please visit the Passenger Numbers page on our website.

Timetable shake-up due in December

Long time users of the train service from Walkden will have grown used to patterns of trains that barely change from year to year … summer sees an additional train a day running through to Blackpool and back, and in the autumn many departure times slide forwards a few minutes to keep the trains on time during the “leaf fall” period.

But this December we will see one of the largest shake-ups of timetables in the Manchester area for 20 years or more as local services are moved around to slot in between more frequent trains on the Piccadilly to London route and “semi-fast” trains being introduced on the Victoria to Leeds line.

The Walkden line is less dramatically affected than many others in the area, but nevertheless the new timetable ushers in the most radical changes seen at Walkden for many years.

To see the new train times, you can query the National Rail Online Journey Planner and enter a travel date later than Dec 14th.

The main changes affecting Monday to Friday services appear to be:

1) increased number of trains during the morning peak with 7 inbound services to Manchester before 9am (compared to 5 at present)

2) decreased number of trains during the afternoon peak with 4 outbound services between 4.30pm and 6.30pm (compared to 5 at present)

3) more consistent departure times throughout the day (at xx20 and xx50 to Manchester and xx04 and xx29 to Wigan, from 10am to 4pm)

4) Overall number of departures per day is unchanged: 31 towards Manchester and 30 towards Wigan.

Whether the new timetable will represent a net improvement or deterioration remains to be seen – for some travellers that will no doubt depend on how their connecting services are affected too. The extra morning train (actually one of the two Atherton expresses that are not currently scheduled to stop at Walkden) will hopefully offer some relief to passengers on the dreadfully overcrowded 0734 and 0801 departures, but the thinning out of afternoon peak services must be a worrying development as these trains are often packed full already.

Disclaimer: Information about new train times has been obtained from the National Rail Journey Planner. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the data but FOWS cannot be held responsible for any errors made during our editing process. Please check your train times with National Rail or locally before travelling.

Read Barbara Keeley’s speech on Walkden and the TIF

The full text of Worsley MP Barbara Keeley’s recent speech, which opened the parliamentary debate on Manchester’s TIF bid, can be read online here.

Ms Keeley eloquently describes the problems at Walkden station in detail, as well as other problems with the inaccessibility and poor provision of public transport in our area.

As Ms Keeley quite rightly says “There is only limited use of rail networks through Atherton and Walkden for commuting into Manchester, because the services are overcrowded and subject to other problems, too. Express trains from Atherton do not stop at Walkden, because of the limited length of the platform. The two-carriage trains that do stop there tend to be full, and 30, 40 or more people are regularly left there in the morning peak hour, because they cannot get on the overcrowded trains.”

“Access to Walkden station is poor. There are two flights of stairs and no lift. The facilities are outdated and the station infrastructure is in urgent need of renewal. There are no car-parking facilities at the station apart from parking in nearby residential streets.”

Ms Keeley’s speech is well worth reading for anyone who has an interest in the TIF bid – which should mean all users of Walkden station ! – and FOWS are very grateful for her continuing fight to secure improvements at Walkden.

Transport Committee slams “too modest” government’s railway plans

The House of Common’s Transport Select Committee, a group of MPs including ex-leader of Manchester City Council Graham Stringer, has issued a critical review of the government’s “Delivering a Sustainable Railway”  strategy for the railways

Whilst welcoming the government’s willingness to plan for the long-term future (“we congratulate Ministers on the development of the first structured plan to develop our railways in many decades”) the committee concluded the government’s vision was far too modest when factors such as rising passenger numbers, oil prices, and environment concerns are taken into account.

The committee regrets that the government refused to commit to building high-speed railways to offer a better alternative to domestic flights and warns that “Hesitation now will mean years of avoidable misery and overcrowding on the network.”

On electrification the committee approves of the government’s very recent change of heart after previously dismissing it “too lightly”. The committee said “We are pleased the Government appears finally to have seen sense on electrification”.

The committee expressed serious concerns about the performance and governance of Network Rail, saying the director’s recent bonuses “added insult to injury for the long-suffering passengers who have had to struggle with the consequences of the company’s failings”. They also find the structure of Network Rail inadequate and recommends the government finds an alternate structure that provides greater accountability.

On increasing network capacity the committee says the government is again “over-cautious” and call for “significant expansion of the network sooner rather than later”.

The 1,300 new carriages that the government have pledged to order are welcomed but the committee also warns “it is clear that, due to the growth in rail patronage, the new stock is unlikely to relieve overcrowding significantly”.

In conclusion the review says that “The White Paper is very light on vision and strategic thinking, and rather represents a missed opportunity … The Government should now seek to develop a genuine 30-year strategy.”

The full review can be downloaded from the government web site here.

Barbara speaks up for Walkden

Barbara Keeley MP, a staunch supporter of FOWS, has raised the plight of Walkden station in Westminster while speaking in a debate on proposed congestion charge. Barbara drew attention to the fact that rail services from Walkden are over-crowded during the peak hours, and that very little of the £3bn investment the TIF fund will generate is ear-marked for projects that will benefit the residents of Walkden or Worsley.

See Barbara’s press release for more details.

Passenger numbers keep on rising

Recently published figures from GMPTE’s latest passenger numbers survey confirm what every Walkden commuter knows – the number of passengers is continuing to rocket.

GMPTE conduct a survey every year and this year’s figures show a 14.4% increase in morning peak numbers and a more modest 1% increase off-peak. However, as the figures below show, the numbers are substantially reduced by the decline in the number of passengers alighting at Walkden – the number of passengers boarding trains here has increased by even more than 14%.

The rising popularity of the station is confirmed by Office of Rail Regulation figures which estimate the annual number of passengers at Walkden to be 156,000 in 2007 – a 5% increase on the previous year.

Walkden in line for TIF Improvements

This week’s approval of Greater Manchester’s bid for up to £3 billion of investment by Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly could signal significant improvements for Walkden station and trains along the Atherton line.

Walkden is highlighted on GMPTE’s TIF Map for TIF Funded Improvements which FOWS understand to include CCTV, real-time passenger information and improved signage at the station. The Atherton line – along with the Eccles line – is also singled out for additional carriages to ease congestion, although these might quickly be filled by additional passengers using the new proposed Park & Ride facility at Atherton.

Although there is some way to go before the TIF project becomes a reality and the improvements will not be seen for a few years yet, we are pleased that GMPTE have recognised Walkden’s particular need for modernisation in their plans.

Barbara Keeley MP takes Walkden station issues to the top of Northern Rail

Worsley MP Barbara Keeley met with Northern Rail’s MD Heidi Mottram last week to discuss various problems faced by rail users at Walkden including over-crowding, poor connections and the lack of Sunday services. Barbara’s press release about the meeting is on her website here. Barbara is in regular contact with FOWS and takes an active interest in the problems besetting station users. FOWS are grateful for Barbara’s continued support and assistance towards improving Walkden station services.