Media centre

Monday 11 Oct 2010

PASSENGER NUMBERS IN MANCHESTER SET TO SOAR

Region & Route:

The number of passengers using rail in Manchester is set to soar over the next ten and twenty years, according to a new report published today by Network Rail. 

A 44% rise by 2019 could see hundreds of thousands more people a year arriving in Manchester at peak times, according to the operator and maintainer of Britain’s rail network.

The report makes a series of recommendations for targeted investment in the railways of the north which are needed to cope with the extra passengers and will support sustainable economic growth.

The report, the draft Northern Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS), looks at rail usage over the next ten to twenty years and recommends how best to cope with the extra passengers and freight.

Paul Plummer, Network Rail’s director of planning and development, said: “Rail in the north is a major success story – but this brings its own challenges, as our draft RUS sets out. 

“The railways of Greater Manchester are nearly full and our report shows that many more people will be travelling on trains in the north in ten and twenty years time.

“Infrastructure investment is key to sustainable economic growth. 

“With businesses and commuters in the north relying on rail and so many more people choosing to travel by train, continued investment in rail in the north is a necessity, not a luxury.”

Richard Critchley, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce transport, environment & planning policy manager, said: "Investment in the rail network is crucial for continued sustainable economic growth within the north. 

"Recent economic success has led to a rapid increase in demand for commuter, inter-city and freight services, something which is predicted to continue.  In order to sustain this growth and support the competitiveness of businesses within the region, it is vital that additional capacity is added to the network."

The number of passengers travelling into the major towns and cities of the north is predicted in the RUS to grow significantly over the next ten and twenty years. 

The growth at peak times could be as high as:

City

2014

2019

2024

2029

Leeds

20%

42%

53%

68%

Liverpool

13%

32%

46%

63%

Manchester

21%

44%

57%

72%

Newcastle

21%

37%

49%

62%

Sheffield

15%

35%

48%

62%

Network Rail is proposing a number of projects to help meet this demand, including:

• The Northern Hub – which would allow 3.5million more passengers to travel across the North every year.
• New platforms at Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester Airport stations.
• Upgrading the freight lines between Immingham, Scunthorpe and Knottingley.
• A rolling programme of electrification including the Midland Mainline between Sheffield and London St Pancras International

Network Rail is consulting on the RUS and will publish a final version in May next year.