Electric trains to boost rail services in the north west
3 Apr 2014 10:34 AM
Deal with Northern Rail
will provide up to 3,000 extra seats during busiest times of
travel.
More trains will come to the
north west following a deal between the Department for Transport and Northern
Rail to introduce electric trains on the network.
Two 4-carriage electric trains
will start running between Liverpool and Manchester via Newton le Willows from
December 2014, providing quicker, cleaner and more reliable journeys for
passengers. By the end of 2015 an additional 40 carriages will be in service,
providing up to 3,000 extra seats during the busiest times of
travel.
Thanks to the introduction of
these trains, a diesel train will be freed up to strengthen services to Bolton
from December 2014, providing a further 200 places during peak travel. A second
train will also be released to run on the newly reopened Todmorden
Curve.
Rail Minister Stephen Hammond
said:
This is great news for
passengers and underlines our commitment to transform rail travel in the north.
These electric trains will mean cleaner, quicker and more reliable journeys for
thousands more passengers between Manchester and Liverpool, driving forward the
economies of these two great cities.
In addition, the deal will
provide extra capacity to Bolton and see a passenger train running on the
Todmorden Curve for the first time in more than 40 years. I look forward to
further improvements as more trains are introduced.
The government is undertaking an
ambitious programme of investment in the north with the £400 million
North West Electrification Programme and the £600 million Northern Hub
scheme. This will improve connections, passenger services and help stimulate
the local economy.
Northern Rail is expected to
meet improved passenger satisfaction, reliability and punctuality targets as
part of a new 22-month franchise announced by the Department last
week.