Government reveal 'short-term' fix for region's railways - but it 'won't come close' to solving problems

The government will invest £84m in the railway network across the North West to make trains more reliable – but the Transport Secretary has said this is just a 'short-term' fix for one of the country's most congested bottlenecks.

Longer platforms, upgraded trackside equipment and bigger depots are set to 'transform' day-to-day journeys for train passengers, the government says. The infrastructure improvements will allow for longer trains with extra seats and fewer delays to services under the new timetable from December 2022.

However, the number of trains travelling through the congested Castlefield corridor will remain at 13 per hour at peak times, the Transport Secretary said. It comes eight years after the Conservative government promised to create two extra platforms at Manchester Piccadilly to relieve the congestion – but this was not signed off and was not included in rail plans released last year.

READ MORE: Grant Shapps hails Manchester bus decision as 'excellent result' and says city will lead the way

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham welcomed the news but said it 'won't come close' to solving the bottleneck in the city centre, saying 'investment on a much bigger scale' is needed for the region's rail hubs. And speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the £84m investment is for all the 'shorter-term stuff'.

He said: "The trouble with the corridor is that we're trying to stuff lots of services and trains through and they're all clashing. The timetable all falls apart if one thing goes wrong.

"What this money is going to do - both for the way the corridor operates, and in conjunction with the timetable - is provide a much more reliable service."

Upgrades to