South Cumbria is well and truly sidelined

Here in south Cumbria, we wish that we could share in Transport for the North’s “pipeline of investment” ( RAIL 850).

Recently we have seen electrification of the OxenholmeWinder mere branch( the Lakes Line) cancelled, and any investment is only in the form of refurbishment of 30-year-old rolling stock (Class 156s and Class 319s to ‘769s’). At the same time, Arriva Rail North seems incapable of providing a reliable service, with numerous cancellations.

On the West Coast Main Line, it isn’t many years since the Department for Transport took away our through CrossCountry trains to the South Coast and the South West. The same department, which (against all advice) transferred our local trains from TransPennine Express to Northern, proposes that none of the stations south of the border and north of Preston will have through trains with London post-HS2.

Oxenholme is the WCML interchange for Windermere - the public transport hub for the Lake District (the UK’s premier national park, now awarded World Heritage Site status).

On cancelling electrification last summer, Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling stated that most of our five original through trains with Manchester Airport would be restored, operated by appropriate rolling stock.

From this May’s timetable change, there will be just two trains to Manchester Piccadilly and one in the reverse direction, none serving the airport, and operated initially by 75mph Sprinters until the ‘Flex’ units are available.

With the closure at weekends of the route through Bolton, Windermere will not be seen throughout the week on the Manchester Airport destination boards that greet the everincreasing number of foreign visitors.

Furthermore, the TPE trains to Scotland have been retimed ten minutes later, missing connections to Windermere.