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Merseyrail presses Network Rail to handover running tracks
By Steve Hanlon | June 4, 2008
This, in the Liverpool Daily Post says that transport chiefs in Merseyside are lobbying for control of the railway tracks. Apparently they’ve been pushing for the past two years for this, and despite the headline, it doesn’t look like there’s been much movement forward in the idea. However, it seems that Merseyrail are still pushing for it. And good on them for trying.
The only way that sub-regional areas will get the railways that they need is if there is control at the sub-regional level. It would make perfect sense for Merseyrail to take control of the lines - in exactly the same way that it would make sense for GMPTE to control the Greater Manchester side (and while we’re at it, a Lancashire Passenger Transport Executive would be good!)
Of course we then get back to the wider city-region / metropolitan county council debate, but that’s not a bad thing. Where there is sub-regional decision making, there should be appropriate representation.
In the meantime, good luck to Merseyrail.
Topics: Local Politics, West Lancs |
June 4th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Absolutely right. What the Daily post article doesn’t make clear is that this attempt to take over the tracks should also be seen in the context of the Local Transport Bill now quietly tootling through parliament (see PTEG biefing and the bill itself at http://www.pteg.net/PolicyCentre/LocalTransportBill/).
There’s some really good stuff in the bill, including the potential for Public transport Execs like Merseytravel to extend their boundaries of operation (ie. franchisong of services) beyond the merseyside boundary and into the economic sub-region). This explains why the Local Transport Plan for Merseyside sets out indicative proposals for new services and station e.g. Skelmersdale).
The other main thing the bill does is create the power for PTE’s (to be renamed Integrated Transport Authorities) to rationalise the franchising of bus serivces to make for a more systematic network than we have at present.
I look forward to seeing the West Lancs LSP consultancy report on this stuff, paid for from the West Lancs Second Homes Fund, and now about four months late……