[from the Oldham Evening Chronicle, 14 December 2020]
Despite the pandemic, the campaigning Greenfield Rail Action Group (GRAG) have set an agenda to continue their battle for better services at Oldham’s only mainline rail station.
The group say since March travellers have been openly discouraged from travelling by public transport, with working from home becoming the norm.
The result is grossly overcrowded trains have given way to almost empty carriages where social distancing is easily achieved.
Mark Ashmore, Chair of the Group, said:
“Since its formation nearly 10 years ago the group has built meaningful relationships with providers, and these need to continue in order to maintain and improve the service at Greenfield station.”
At the virtual group meeting, they endorsed their aims:
1. The trans-Pennine line is the most important rail link between North-West England, Yorkshire and the North-East – the long promised full electrification of the linethrough Greenfield needs urgent delivery if the levelling-up agenda of the government is to be achieved.
2. Continued liaison with the rail groups at Mossley, Marsden and Slaithwaite to ensure all the groups are working to the same agenda.
3. Continued liaison with the train operating companies, Trans-Pennine Express and Northern.
4. Continued campaigning for a half-hourly service throughout the day and restoration of the direct link to Manchester Victoria.
5. Continued liaison with Transport for Greater Manchester, Transport for the North and similar bodies.
6. Full disabled access at Greenfield Station.
7. Support Diggle residents campaigning for a new local station.
8. Cheaper train fares between West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester by removing the “tunnel tax” which massively increases cross-boundary fares.
9. Air Quality Control and Climate Change – as well as campaigning for electrification this includes improving connectivity between bus and train. Links worked well until earlier this year when Transport for Greater Manchester changed local bus routes, ending the connection timings at Greenfield station.
