Station revamp U-turn ‘devastating’ for region

BUSINESS leaders across the North West have reacted angrily to news that funding to revamp run-down railway stations is to be cut.

The government announced yesterday that as a result of £6.2bn cuts, £50m earmarked by the Department for Transport to regenerate dilapidated stations would be scrapped.

Among the stations which were due to be revamped were Manchester Victoria, Stockport, Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western.

It was announced in March that Victoria was going to receive a £30m revamp which included a new roof, ticket office, toilets, waiting room and work to improve the station approach.

The stations are perceived by business leaders to be an essential first point of contact with the region’s towns and cities and these first impressions can often help clinch inward investment.

Chris Fletcher, deputy chief executive of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said that he now intended to write to the new Secretary of State for Transport voicing concern and asking for a rethink.

He said: “This is a devastating blow for the region. Victoria was named as one of the worst stations in the country and is in desperate need of a revamp.

“To have the money pulled in 24 hours is very worrying and I hope that this is not a sign of how this government will operate. As any commuter will tell you, the facilities at Victoria are simply not good enough for a modern city.

“Wigan and Stockport are not in as dire a state as Victoria, but both are major stations which badly need investment to bring them up to modern standards. All these stations needed was a relatively small amount of public money which would then draw in private sector investment.”

Giles Fletcher, the CBI’s assistant regional director, said: “Any spending cuts are always going to be unwelcome. But one of the big issues here is also the impact on the green economy and improving our carbon footprint.

“The best option to improve our green credentials is by our public transport infrastructure and I hope that these proposals do not force people off the railways.”

Wigan businessman Tony Callaghan, who runs a pub called InnTheBar close to the railway station, said: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

“Wigan is working hard to put itself on the map and when the station is not as attractive as it could be then it remains a long way from turning opinions around.”