From May 2018 the rail operator, Northern plans to run all services from Southport to Manchester Victoria in the north of the city centre, forcing passengers to change trains to reach Piccadilly for mainline connections and the commuting stations of Oxford Road and Deansgate.

With over 60% of travellers from Southport to Manchester going to stations on the south side of the city, not to mention visitors travelling long distances by rail to Southport, the Ormskirk, Preston & Southport Travellers’ Association (OPSTA) and Southport Rail Transport Forum (SRTF) continues its campaign to secure the required direct services.

With Northern now in industry consultation on its plans, users of the Manchester rail services now have an opportunity to have their say and influence the final outcome by participating. This can be done very simply and quickly by visiting the website www.opsta.org/sopman and stating your travel requirement.

No additional services to Victoria, the abolition of the the very popular often overcrowed service to Piccadilly except for 2 each weekday which won't call at Deansgate to interface with the Metro services.
Changes at Salford will be to services that are often 'Standing Room Only' even during the day.
Services are to be run on the old existing rattlers which have already been labeled as unsafe and are unreliable.
Fares have just risen again for the THIRD time this year, some by a Third!

What has Dr Pugh been doing about this apart from keeping quiet?

Originally Posted by Alikado

Fares have just risen again for the THIRD time this year, some by a Third!

What has Dr Pugh been doing about this apart from keeping quiet?

His voting record on rail costs isn't great

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/11...ns?policy=6692

He's been very busy "fighting" for us of course:

http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/ne...makes-12675804

Be interesting whether Cllr maguire has the same views

This is all the the 'Thin End of the Wedge' , the next thing will be Wigan Wallgate will become the Terminus for the Southport & Kirkby services due to increased services through Wigan NW, then what - abolition of services to Wigan as an alternative exists through Liverpool?

Does anybody know if there will still be a direct service between Southport and Bolton in the new proposals? Is there somewhere that you can actually clearly see the proposed routes. All I have managed to glean so far is that the trains wont go directly to Piccadilly and wont stop at Deansgate

For services between Southport and Bolton its the same proposal as to Manchester Piccadilly 2 trains in the morning 07:15, 08:15 departing and 2 in the evening 17:15 + 18:15 departing Man Piccadilly which will arrive Bolton around 17:40/18:40. Other than that its change at Wigan to pickup the Victoria services running on the Atherton Line

Originally Posted by onthetoon

Does anybody know if there will still be a direct service between Southport and Bolton in the new proposals? Is there somewhere that you can actually clearly see the proposed routes. All I have managed to glean so far is that the trains wont go directly to Piccadilly and wont stop at Deansgate

For all the "fighting" that the Lib Dems allegedly do for this town, we have lost an awful lot on their watch.

Originally Posted by LucyJ

For all the "fighting" that the Lib Dems allegedly do for this town, we have lost an awful lot on their watch.

They are too busy pointing at railings that need painting and hanging baskets that have been vandalised etc. not the things that matter in peoples lives.

Originally Posted by Alikado

They are too busy pointing at railings...

Railing about railings rather than railways...

Oh , do we not like to whinge. Live with it, we do not
like changes. Tomorrow will come and these changes will happen.

Originally Posted by ausard2

Oh , do we not like to whinge. Live with it, we do not
like changes. Tomorrow will come and these changes will happen.

You mean like the change from 55 years ago when trains did Southport - Manchester in 45 minutes. The only change will be more of the Privatised Make Profit on the Premier routes Sod the Rest. Bl**dy Whinge vote this lot of upperclass bufoons in again and there will no rail link between Southport and Manchester the line to Wigan will be concreted over and made into bus ways.