Southport to Manchester Rail Services

Opened the debate

Damien Moore is concerned about the potential downgrade of direct train services from Southport to Manchester Piccadilly. He highlighted that in January, a consultation by the Department for Transport, Network Rail and Transport for the North aimed to improve rail performance but could downsize the service my constituents have only recently secured. The proposed changes would remove the direct service to Manchester Piccadilly, affecting two-thirds of Southport and Lancashire residents who need the south side station due to its connections to other parts of Britain. He also noted that the current service is crucial for tourism in his constituency, particularly events like The Open golf tournament which attracted almost a quarter of a million visitors.

Government Response

This debate is all about the destination of the train, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Southport on securing this debate on rail services between his constituency and Manchester. Since 2010, £29 billion has been invested in northern transport, with a further commitment to invest £4.2 billion in intra-city transport settlements from 2022-23. Capacity funding is supporting city regions and preparing them for the settlements, with over £22 billion invested in phases of HS2 to deliver north-south connectivity. An extra £317 million was announced last month to improve the trans-Pennine mainline. The Government are committed to levelling up the country, which includes spending more on transport in the north compared to other regions. A new public body, Great British Railways, will simplify our railways and deliver modern fares. However, there is much work to be done as passengers travelling on some areas of the network are not getting the service they deserve. In January 2020, a taskforce was formed to identify options to tackle congestion around Manchester. The taskforce has conducted a root-and-branch review of the timetable and consulted on three possible options. More than 800 people and organisations gave feedback during this consultation, including my hon. Friend and his constituents. We have given room for extra consideration by agreeing to defer any major changes until December 2022. The revised proposals will soon be considered by political leaders in Transport for the North before a public announcement is made. Work is also happening on the ground now, with Network Rail instructed to start work on lengthening platforms across Greater Manchester to accommodate six-carriage trains. We are making sure that stations have platform capacity and TransPennine Express has introduced three new fleets into its passenger service providing 13 million extra seats a year. Likewise, £500 million has been invested in 101 new trains for Northern, providing more space for customers including wheelchair users, reducing emissions and journey times. These changes are significant but by working together on a package of projects that deliver reliability and reflect passenger demand, they will make a difference.