We need a coherent plan for railways in the city centre - it's not good enough

MAYOR'S BLAST AT THE GOVERNMENT'S 'NEW APPROACH' TO CUT CONGESTION

- JOSEPH TIMAN

AFTER years of waiting Manchester will finally be getting an apparent solution to the rail gridlock that cripples our transport system - but it won't be the fix we were promised.

Instead of adding new platforms at Piccadilly station, two platforms could be removed from Manchester's Oxford Road, as part of a new attempt to deal with the capacity problem that plagues trains coming in and out of the city centre.

It's part of what rail bosses are calling a 'new approach' to reducing congestion on the region's railways.

They say the previous plans for platforms 15 and 16 at Piccadilly which date back more than a decade would be 'hugely expensive' and 'incredibly disruptive' - despite past promises that they would be built in a bid to fix the chaos on our trains.

Local leaders say the North has been left in limbo' for too long, demanding an alternative plan to increase capacity on the trains is drawn up immediately.

It comes as rail minister Huw Merriman visited Manchester Victoria Station yesterday to £72m announce worth of upgrades to the region's railways.

Greater Manchester mayor Bu Andy ham said he only discovered on Wednesday that the plans for new platforms at Piccadilly have been withdrawn.

The Labour mayor said that investment is welcome, but it will not solve the current rail capacity problems in the city centre.

He said: "What we need is a coherent plan for the railways in Manchester city centre because as long as it isn't solved, it will mean misery for people here and it will mean misery for people across the North - it's not good enough."