Council could pay rail firm to keep service on track
COUNCILLORS want to pay a new rail operator to run trains on a soon-to-be suspended line for one week to ‘prove it can be done’.
Northern Trains is to temporarily axe services between Rose Hill station, in Marple, and Manchester Piccadilly for 13 weeks from September 14.
Despite an angry backlash - which has seen thousands sign petitions against the move - bosses insist they have no choice due to the impact of Covid-19 on the workforce and a large training backlog.
But the ‘radical solution’ of drafting in a different operator - understood to be West Coast Trains - to run services on the line for seven days has been agreed ‘in principle’ at an extraordinary meeting of the Marple Area Committee. It would see services running between Rose Hill, Romiley, Woodley, Hyde Central, Hyde North and Guide Bridge stations for at least seven days - with the hope of a sponsor emerging to continue the arrangement.
While the move is highly unusual, it is not unprecedented. In 2018 West Coast Trains stepped in to run the line between Oxenholme and Windermere after Northern Rail cancelled all trains for four weeks.
Councillors from Marple voted in favour of the proposals, while those from Werneth also indicated their backing.
Coun Colin MacAlister and Coun Christine Corris - who chair the Marple and Werneth Area Committees respectively - are to work on the detail with Stockport council officers.
If ultimately given the green light, each of the four wards involved would contribute up to £7,500 from their funds.
It is understood that the Liberal Democrat group has been in talks with West Coast Trains with a view to taking over the line on a temporary basis.
Coun Lisa Smart, who tabled the proposal, said the Localism Act gave councillors the powers to make any decision, provided it is not prohibited by other legislation.
The deputy Lib Dem group leader told the meeting: “It’s clear from over 5,500 people signing against withdrawal that lots of people think it’s not a good decision. In fact it’s a terrible decision for local rail users and our local environment.”
She added: “I think this is a really good use of public money, we have had over 5,500 sign a petition, saying, very clearly, they do not want the line to close.
“Children are returning to school, commuters are returning to their offices; this rail line is a vital local service.
“If we show it can be done, just for a week, we could open it up to sponsors locally, if they want to sponsor the service or want to carry it on until Northern feels able to have their trains running on the Rose Hill line once more. “It can be done.” Marple North councillor Malcolm Allen also spoke in favour of the move, arguing that councillors should use all the powers they have to deliver for their communities.
“Our job is to represent our residents - 5,500 signatures on a petition is the biggest by four-fold I have ever come across as a councillor. It’s clear there’s a huge desire for the line to stay open,” he said. “It feels to me we would be responding to what our residents want.”
However Conservative Coun Tom Dowse, while supporting the move in principle, said he would need to see more of the detail behind the plans, particularly given the amount of ward funds involved.
Others present at the meeting raised doubts over whether the proposal was realistic.
Coun David Meller, the council’s representative on the Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) committee, acknowledged it was a ‘radical proposal’, but said he was unsure about the legalities and logistics.
Council service director Mark Glyn told the meeting that the officers would have to ‘work through the detail’ in terms of the ‘costs and risks to the council’ and what the authorities legal position would be.
Earlier in the meeting Northern Trains regional director Chris Jackson, gave his assurances the suspension was not a precursor to a full closure of the line.
Responding to a question from Coun Angie Clark he said it ‘categorically’ wasn’t the case, and the service would be reintroduced on December 14 - or earlier if at all possible.
The meeting was also attended by the three chairs of the ‘friends of’ groups for Romiley, Rose Hill and Marple stations.
Each made representations against the withdrawal of the service, highlighting the impact it will have on local transport users and arguing against Northern Rail’s reasons for the suspension.