The full results of yesterday’s passenger count by FOWS are now available on our website.
We only survey up to 1.30pm (for consistency with GMPTE’s passenger surveys) but with a grand total of 524 passengers using the station during this time, it’s a reasonable assumption that the station’s daily passenger count is over 1,000 !
Today we conducted our annual passenger count and we’re now collating the data. The full stats will appear on our website in the next couple of days.
In the meantime, here are the headline figures:
* Overall number of passengers using the station from 6am to 1.30pm up 2% since last year: from 511 to 524 passengers
* Peak-time travel into Manchester is down 7% from 227 to 210
* Passengers boarding trains towards Wigan were up 44% from 48 to 69
As we say every year, our survey provides only a snapshot on a “typical” working day. All the same, it is quite amazing that passenger numbers have continued to climb – albeit at a lower rate – after the economic downturn the country has experienced this year.
And, even though peak-time travel into Manchester was slightly down on last year (in line with rising unemployment), and the fact we now have an extra train during the morning peak, there were still 20 passengers left stranded as they were unable to board the jam-packed 0818.
FOWS encourage all passengers let down in situations like this to fill in a Complaint Form and send it Freepost to Northern Rail. It’s not the Booking Office staff’s fault (they wish there were more trains too), but they do stock Northern’s Complaints Forms.
Only by filing complaints each time the train is overcrowded will Walkden climb up Northern Rail’s priorities … so stand up for yourselves !
During FOWS’ work at the station this morning no less than 33 would-be passengers turned up in just 4 hours !
Of course we’re not the expert travel planning professionals, but we can’t help thinking that if this many people turn up for a service that last ran 40 years ago it must demonstrate some kind of demand for Sunday services from Walkden …
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.
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.
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.
