Andy Burnham has demanded that first-class carriages be scrapped on Northern trains until there’s a “decent service”.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester said that until the North gets the expanded timetable that it was originally promised all the way back in 2014, then he “couldn’t see a justification” for first class compartments “when people can’t get a seat”, and when they are paying ticket prices “at the level that they are”.
Speaking to fellow Northern leaders at a meeting last week, Mr Burnham added that ongoing disruptions are a part of the “managed decline in the railways of northern England.”
He added that there’s “no end in sight.”
He also made sure to note that it will include cuts to weekend services and standing room only on key lines for five to 10 years.
After refusing to endorse the timetable until the government provided a firm infrastructure plan for the Castlefield corridor, according to the MEN, the Mayor then went a step further, saying: “If we sign this off, we all know what the reality will be for at least five years, more like ten years, on rail services across the north, particularly between Manchester and Leeds.
“It will mean people unable to find a seat because we’ve got a reduced number of services.”
Andy Burnham has demanded that first-class carriages be scrapped on Northern trains until there’s a “decent service” / Credit: Network Rail
Mr Burnham continued: “It will mean standing up all the way back to Manchester, and that will just be the reality for people for years and years and years to come.
“Until we get back to the expanded timetable we were promised… trains should be declassified.
“I can’t see a justification for first class compartments when people can’t get a seat, when they are paying ticket prices at the level that they are.”
Former Chancellor George Osborne had first promised expansions at Manchester Piccadilly Station via new platforms 15 and 16 and Oxford Road Station all the way back in 2014 in order to relieve the Castlefield corridor.
But, this expansion is yet to be signed off.
Mr Burnham said that ongoing disruptions are a part of the “managed decline in the railways of northern England.” / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Instead, a new “high-performing” rail timetable that’s aimed at cutting delays and “unclogging” the Castlefield corridor was approved back in October, and is expected to come into force in December 2022.
The timetable for December 2022 is currently out to consultation for a second time – however, a report to the northern body Transport for North last week noted that the move comes with a trade-off, in that “the number of trains that can use the corridor will effectively be capped”.
Andy Burnham informed his fellow leaders that he had recently been told of cuts to weekend services that Greater Manchester had not previously known about, although he did not elaborate.
It is understood the changed timetable would see fewer weekend services between Blackpool North and Manchester among others, the MEN reports.
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More than 100 ‘unsafe’ counterfeit Labubus seized in Oldham
Daisy Jackson
More than 100 counterfeit Labubus and accessories have been seized in Oldham, the council has announced.
The Labubu dolls – a plush collectible with giant smiles and bunny ears – have been seized because they are fake, and unsafe.
The haul of 104 Labubus has been given a street value of between £800 and £1000 – but if they were the real deal, they’d be worth more than three times as much.
The poorly-made figures were being sold for a fraction of the price of a real Labubu, which are manufactured by Chinese company Pop Mart (it’s set to open its second Manchester store in the Trafford Centre next week).
Oldham Council’s Trading Standards team said it seized the counterfeit Labubus from local businesses and found that they were unsafe and poorly made.
Officers raised concerns about the safety of the dolls, which had small parts such as eyes, hands and feet broke off easily, creating a choking hazard.
What a genuine Labubu should look like. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
They were also missing legally required safety marks such as the CE or UKCA labels, and lacked the name and address of a UK supplier, which is another legal requirement.
Councillor Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, said: “Oldham Trading Standards carries out regular checks to help keep unsafe products off the shelves. In this case, these counterfeit toys failed safety standards and have now been removed from sale.
“We know it can be tempting to buy toys that look like a bargain, but parents need to be extra careful. Fake toys like these may be cheaper, but they can put children in real danger if they’re not made to strict safety standards.
“If anyone has concerns about toys they’ve purchased, or if they see unsafe products on sale locally, we’d encourage them to get in touch with Trading Standards through the Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.”
Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer
Emily Sergeant
A list of roads in Manchester that are set to be resurfaced before the summer is out has been published.
Manchester City Council recently asked residents in the region what their priorities were for their community and what issues they wanted to see tackled – and for many, the answer was the quality of the road surfaces.
Since then, the Council says it has been ‘engaged’ in a long-running programme of improvement works throughout the borough.
Now, with just over a month of the summer season left, it has been confirmed that some vital resurfacing works are due to start over the coming weeks in north and central Manchester, bringing a range of improvements to key district roads along with it.
First up, from Saturday 9 August, Hollinwood Avenue is to be resurfaced.
The Council has published a list of Manchester roads that are set to be resurfaced this summer / Credit: MJ Richardson (via Geograph)
Anticipated to take six weeks to complete, this work will be carried out during weekend closures from 8am-5pm, with the road remaining open during the working week.
The closure area will be between Greengates Roundabout and the Oldham boundary at Owler Lane, and a signed diversion route will be in place while work is carried out, and access for residents will be maintained at all times.
Then, starting from Saturday 16 August, resurfacing works will begin on Moss Lane East, between Alexandra Road and Princess Road.
Work will take place between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, and 8am and 5pm on weekends, and during the works, the road will be completely closed – with a signed diversion route in place and access for residents maintained.
As always, disruption is expected and the public is encouraged to plan ahead / Credit: Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)
These works are expected to take six weeks to complete, and as with all resurfacing projects, residents should expect some disruption and may need to plan ahead.
The Council is aiming to keep disruption to the public at a minimum, where possible.
“We know how important it is to our residents that key roads are well maintained, which is why were glad to be able to deliver this latest round of improvement works,” commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“I’d like to thank people ahead of time for their patience during the course of these works and would advise them to check when closures will be in place and where the diversions are.”
You can find more information on the resurfacing works on the Council website here.
Emily Sergeant -
17th December 2021 
