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 The facilities are outdated and the station infrastructure is in urgent need of renewal.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.

Northern Respond to FOWS Appeal for Longer Platforms

In the light of on-going over-crowding problems caused by the short trains that serve Walkden in the morning FOWS recently wrote to Northern MD Heidi Mottram to appeal for some of the disused section of platform to be returned to use, allowing the longer “Atherton Express” trains to stop here.

Mrs Mottram has replied saying that Northern are “very well aware” of the overcrowding problem at Walkden and outlining their plans to investigate the possibility of lengthening the platform.

Northern are considering whether some 20m of disused platform could be returned to use and are clearing an area behind the wooden barrier for further analysis. Although Mrs Mottram warns that no funds are currently available, FOWS are encouraged that the scheme is being actively pursued and will continue to persuade Northern of the business benefits of a longer platform.

If you have suffered because of rush-hour overcrowding at Walkden, you can write to Northern at customer.relations@northernrail.org to make a comment or complaint: as the Northern Rail website says “We know that we can always improve so if there is anything you think we should be doing please contact us.”