Manchester and North West train services to get £84m boost but city leaders say more is needed

Ministers have announced an £84m package which they say will make trains in the North West of England more reliable.

Rail Minister Wendy Morton MP announced the package of infrastructure upgrades at Manchester Victoria station on Friday (11 March).

Passenger services are also planned to be enhanced at Manchester’s Piccadilly, Victoria and Airport stations.

However, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham described the “lack of investment in rail over the past decade” in the region as “a drag on realising our ambition”.

He added: “Despite our position as a key travel hub for the whole of the North, the quality of rail infrastructure and lack of investment in rail over the past decade in Greater Manchester has been a drag on realising our ambition.

A reliable and dependable railway which provides a high-quality travelling experience, is built to encourage passenger growth and connects the major economic regions of the North is an important ingredient for the long-term success of our city-region and the wider area.

“Today’s announcement is a welcome step forward and I look forward to continuing to work with Government and the industry.

“This is just the start of the infrastructure investment needed - and we need to push on with a comprehensive package of improvements which will help to secure a successful future for rail travel in our region for generations to come.”

The work is part of the Secretary of State’s Manchester Recovery Task Force’s (MRTF) plans to boost service reliability.

Works are now underway with upgrades to track-side equipment between Manchester and Liverpool and platform extensions on the Cumbrian route.

This will support the introduction of longer trains with extra seats and an upcoming timetable change across the region will increase reliability. 

Further works next year will see additional platform extensions to some of the busiest routes across the North West and West Yorkshire, supporting the roll-out of longer electric trains by Northern.