The government has today announced an £84 million funding package to make train services in the North West “more reliable”.
According to transport ministers, the money will be used to fund a package of infrastructure upgrades such as track improvements, platform extensions for longer trains, and larger local depots, which are all said to transform the day-to-day journeys of train passengers in the region.
Passenger facilities will be enhanced at Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, and Manchester Airport stations, thanks to the funding, and will also allow for re-signalling along the city’s notoriously congested Castlefield Corridor, and the remodelling of Manchester Oxford Road station.
Work on the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) also continues with the electrification and re-signalling of the line and track renewals, which is aiming to deliver faster, more frequent, and reliable trains for passengers.
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Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it “kicks off a decade’s worth of improvements”.
The £84 million funding package is aiming to make train services in the North West “more reliable” / Credit: Network Rail
He added: “This £84 million investment will make trains more reliable for the people of Manchester and beyond.
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“The Transpennine Route Upgrade, the Integrated Rail Plan and Northern Powerhouse Rail will transform the lives of passengers across the region for generations to come [and] as we level up the country, we’re determined to use rail to boost local economies, create greener journeys and change lives for the better.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has previously described the “lack of investment in rail over the past decade” in the North West region as “a drag on realising our ambition”.
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Speaking on the new £84 million investment, Mr Burnham added that a “reliable and dependable railway which provides a high-quality travelling experience” connecting major northern cities is “an important ingredient for the long-term success of our city-region and the wider area”.
Transport ministers said the funding “kicks off a decade’s worth of improvement / Credit: Flickr
He continued: “Today’s announcement is a welcome step forward and I look forward to continuing to work with Government and the industry.
“This is just the start of the infrastructure investment needed.
“We need to push on with a comprehensive package of improvements which will help to secure a successful future for rail travel in our region for generations to come.”
The funding boost also comes as a controversial new rail timetable is planned for Manchester from December.
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Mr Burnham has previously warned that it will lead to many passengers “standing up all the way” between Manchester and Leeds due to a lack of seats, but the Department for Transport (DfT) disagrees with that claim, and insists the new timetable will provide “more punctual, reliable journeys for passengers”.
Greater Manchester moorland fires still burning after more than two weeks
Emily Sergeant
Firefighters tackling moorland fires across Greater Manchester are still at work more than two weeks later.
Most notably, a blaze broke out on the evening of Saturday 11 July near the popular beauty spot of Dovestone Reservoir in Oldham, prompting a major multi-agency response with fire crews from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) working hard in challenging conditions to contain the fire and prevent further spread across the moorland.
Specialist wildfire resources, command support units, drone technology, and partner agencies were also deployed as operations continue across multiple sectors of the incident.
However, firefighters are tackling Dovestone on two fronts, as the fire at Saddleworth has gone on to merge with a fire at Tintwistle, and at Swineshaw.
Greater Manchester moorland fires are still burning after more than two weeks / Credit: GMFRS
The fires have burned hundreds of hectares of moorland, which is equivalent to the size of 1,250 football pitches, the landowner told BBC News.
The fire service said the rainfall and mist over the weekend had dampened the moorlands a bit, but despite this, the fires had not been extinguished and are still being classed as a ‘major incident’.
Three arrests have been made in connection to the Dovestone Reservoir fire, including one woman who has been charged.
20-year-old Shania Care-Slede, from Hyde has been charged with aggravated arson, being reckless as to whether life was endangered, and dangerous driving, and is next due to appear in court next month on 18 August.
“I’m incredibly proud of our firefighters, who have shown outstanding resilience and bravery this weekend to tackle these wildfires in challenging weather conditions and difficult terrain,” commented GMFRS’s head of response, Ben Levy.
“Their professionalism throughout this incident, alongside the invaluable support of our partners, has been exceptional.”
Featured Image – GMFRS
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Man charged and named after two attempted rapes in Rochdale parks just hours apart
Emily Sergeant
A man has been charged after two attempted rapes took place in two Rochdale parks merely hours apart from each other.
He has also been publicly named as Harvey Symes, from Milnrow in Rochdale.
The 23-year-old black British national has been charged with two counts of attempted rape and threats to kill, and is due to appear at in Manchester and Salford Magistrates court today (27 July), Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has confirmed.
Symes was arrested and then subsequently charged after police received a report that a woman had been sexually assaulted in Rochdale’s Broadfield Park, by a man unknown to her, at around 6:15am on Saturday 25 July.
A second report was then made at 8:38am concerning the sexual assault of a woman in Milnrow Memorial Park – again with the victim reporting being attacked by a man she did not know.
Both victims provided GMP with a similar description of the suspect, leading police to believe the attacks were linked.
Investigation officers began their search for a black male believed to have been wearing a three piece suit or smart black clothes and a dark coat, and also carrying a briefcase, and as part of ongoing enquiries, they identified CCTV footage of a man matching the description in the Coco Lounge in Rochdale town centre – with the man leaving the venue at around 5am.
While Symes has now been arrested, charged, and publicly named, police are still appealing for anyone with information, and CCTV, dashcam, doorbell, or mobile phone footage from the Rochdale town centre, Broadfield Park, or Milnrow Memorial Park areas in the early hours of Saturday morning, to come forward.
Emily Sergeant -
11th March 2022 
