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MP seeks assurance over train cuts plan
Laura Thistlethwaite23/ 1/2008
MACCLESFIELD MP Sir Nicholas Winterton has met with train bosses in a bid to prevent proposed service cuts.
It was announced last year that Arriva CrossCountry, who took over the Birmingham route from Virgin, planned to cut southbound Macclesfield services by half in 2008.
During a "full and frank" meeting, Sir Nicholas said CrossCountry’s managing director, Andy Cooper, admitted Macclesfield would not "come out of it well" if reductions were given the go-ahead.
He said: "Mr Cooper was very sympathetic to some of the concerns which I expressed on behalf of Macclesfield residents. He admitted that under the new timetable, Macclesfield didn’t come out of it at all well.
"He also agreed with me in saying the new timetable would create over-crowding and was likely to create congestion at Macclesfield ticket office because people would be queueing for one train an hour, instead of two."
The MP also revealed there would be no direct services to London on weekends and passengers would have to change at Birmingham.
However, the parliamentarian was given reassurance that plans are not yet finalised and there continues to be discussions with Network Rail.
Arriva CrossCountry held a public consultation in November, but Sir Nicholas said: "I felt the consultation process last year was somewhat flawed, but Arriva have promised to provide me with specific details of the consultation, because I saw very little of it."
The rail company said the altered timetable reflected the Department for Transport’s specification for a fast, limited-stop service between Birmingham and Manchester.
Sir Nicholas added: "The rationalisation for change is the intense focus on high speed trains at the expense of cross country services.
"However, I feel the meeting went well, they were sympathetic to the situation in Macclesfield and I have now developed a good working relationship with Arriva CrossCountry, so we will continue discussions to try and create the best outcome."
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