At long last the Colne Valley has the\nopportunity to have a half-hourly train service at Marsden and Slaithwaite\nstations but it needs community support to make it happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For over ten years Slaithwaite &\nMarsden Action on Rail Transport (SMART) has been campaigning for an all-day\nhalf-hourly service at Marsden and Slaithwaite. Although there has recently\nbeen a big improvement in the rolling stock the frequency of trains has\nremained at just one per hour outside of the morning and evening weekday peak\nperiods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On January 14th. <\/sup> the Department for Transport published the\n\u201cManchester Recovery Task Force Consultation\u201d which aims to undo much of the\nchaos caused by the disastrous May 2018 timetable change that so badly affected\nour local train services and those across the whole of the North of England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The consultation paper presents three\noptions A, B & C. Option-A is likely to produce the least increase in punctuality\nand resilience across the rail network and Option-C is projected to produce the\ngreatest increase in punctuality and resilience across the rail network.\nOption-C also produces the greater benefits to more of the stations on routes\nradiating from Manchester, including Marsden and Slaithwaite, than the other\ntwo options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Option-C would give Slaithwaite &\nMarsden a half-hourly service throughout the day to Manchester and Huddersfield\nand an hourly train to Leeds. This would be achieved by having the current Manchester\nto Hull train stopping at Slaithwaite & Marsden throughout the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Councillor Rob Walker, Chair of SMART, said: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs we hopefully emerge from the \u00a0Covid pandemic we do not want to see even worse traffic congestion in our villages and towns.\u00a0 We want to encourage people to use train services again.\u00a0 SMART believe that a half-hourly service is vital in convincing people that rail travel is the best option.\u00a0 At the moment if you narrowly miss a train it can be nearly an hour\u2019s wait. We at last have excellent trains with plenty of seats; all we need now are regular and reliable services. <\/p> With business developments like the Globe Mill in Slaithwaite, and the growth in leisure visitors to the Colne Valley, we want to see more people travelling by train into our area as well as commuting from it to work.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The full 35 page report that contains\nall the consultation questions can be read here: https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/government\/uploads\/system\/uploads\/attachment_data\/file\/951401\/manchester-recovery-task-force-public-consultation.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Consultation responses should be sent\nto performancerecoverytaskforce@dft.gov.uk<\/a> by March 10th<\/sup> at the latest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" At long last the Colne Valley has the opportunity to have a half-hourly train service at Marsden and Slaithwaite stations but it needs community support to make it happen. For over ten years Slaithwaite & Marsden Action on Rail Transport … Continue reading