PAGE NAVIGATOR:  CLICK IN ANY BOX BELOW TO OPEN APPROPRIATE PAGE

Our Guest Speaker, David Sidebottom, Passenger Link Manager for Passenger Focus was not short of questions following his presentation.  Our concern regarding the appalling overcrowding on local trains at peak times and the fact that not one extra unit  is in use on services operated by Northern Rail within Greater Manchester was forcibly expressed both by the audience and Chairman, Tony Fawthrop.

The plight of commuters using Mills Hill station was emphasised.  Not only are they packed standing to the doors on a daily basis, but some are left on the platform unable to board.

The situation is little better on services between Warrington Central and Oxford Road, especially at stations nearer the city such as Flixton, Chassen Road, Urmston and Humphrey Park.

G.M.T.C. PUBLIC OPEN MEETING HELD 22nd NOVEMBER

Above:  Mills Hill station around 0800 on a Monday morning.  Many passengers could not get on the train and had to wait for the next.  Had it been raining heavily some would have been soaked since all could not have stood beneath the shelter in the last photo.

3 photographs above kindly supplied by member Trevor Bishop

(Left) David Sidebottom’s presentation to a very attentive audience was followed by a deluge of questions. Chairman Tony Fawthrop (centre) forcibly stressed the need for extra units to David Sidebottom.   The questions continued even after the close of the meeting (right).

Three GMTC members including Chairman Tony Fawthrop attended Railfuture North West’s AGM at the Stretton Hotel on Saturday 2nd February.  Afterwards, one of the three couldn’t resist the temptation of walking to Anchorsholme and back to view the cargo ferry beached there during severe gales the previous Thursday.  He thought it wasn’t very far and should have known better, especially in a freezing high wind.  Although gaining a blistered heel and sleeping through until 11 am Sunday morning, the walk produced a few photos of the tramtrack renewal and ferry.

FRIENDS OF REDDISH SOUTH STATION organised a Folk Train event Saturday 26th January to publicise their efforts to establish a regular service to Manchester Victoria.  Three GMTC members (Gordon Lang, Preva Crossley and Peter Garvey) went along in support.

Everyone boarded the train at Reddish South and together with musical accompaniment, rode to Stalybridge where we packed out the buffet, received a warm welcome from the staff, heard some encouraging words from Andrew Gwynne MP, and thoroughly enjoyed good ale, nosh and entertainment.  Click on thumnail photos to enlarge full screen.

Click here for further information about Friends of Reddish South Station.

BLACKPOOL

LIFT AT PICCADILLY UNDERCROFT NOT WORKING AGAIN.  This small lift at the end of the Metrolink arrivals platform at Piccadilly Rail Station is invaluable—when it works—by taking passengers up two levels to the centre of the main station concourse.  Unfortunately it’s frequently out of order.  Our members regularly report this to us.  We published the fact in our Nov 2007 magazine accom-panied by a photograph. We also posted a copy to the home address of each of the 33 councillors on the Passenger Trans-port Authority (which owns the lift).  Have they ensured it was restored to reliable service?  NO.  There has been a deafening silence from the Authority, neither has any individual member contacted us.

The Authority loses no opportunity to paint a rosy picture of Metrolink. Perhaps its mem-bers would be less enthusiastic if they’d seen the elderly  woman struggling with a heavy suitcase and the man on crutches at the platform on Thursday 14th February.  Could you image this situation being allowed to persist at a Tesco store?  Click on the photos in sequence, top to bottom and imagine yourself in that situation.

You’ve just got off the tram, have difficulty with walking and balance and see a sign pointing to the lift.  In this view it’s behind the camera, quite a distance from the tram.

You press the button and wait.  There’s nothing to indicate whether the lift’s started to move, or a notice saying it’s out of order.  So you wait .... and wait.

Finally you give up in despair. You can’t tackle the escalators—there are two—so  provided you’re wise to the situation, you know  to take this long and lonely passage out on to London Road.  A stranger  wouldn’t have a clue where to go.

This elderly man seen struggling with a walking-frame in the passage last November was in considerable difficulty.

Emerging from the passage he would then have to walk across two tram tracks almost as far as the bus stop in the distance to access the other two lifts to the station concourse.

Apart from the uneven surface he could easily have been hit by a tram,  They don’t stop before emerging to see if the footpath is clear.

When the Metrolink lift is working here is where you’d emerge—right in the centre of the main station’s concourse.

See the notice?  ACCESSIBLE LIFT.  The Transport Authority pays a lot of lip service to care of the disabled.  In practice it appears they don’t give a hoot!

PHOTOS BY GORDON LANG, MEMBER OF BURY PENSIONERS’ ASSOCIATION