APPROVAL OF WITHDRAWAL OF ARRIVA MANCHESTER-PENZANCE SVC

PLANS to stop operating direct passenger services between Manchester, Crewe and Penzance have been approved by Transport Minister Derek Twigg.

In a letter to Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) managing director Graeme Bunker, the Minister says: “Many of the objections to the proposed closure concerned the issue of the withdrawal of the direct service connecting Penzance to the North West of England.

“I appreciate the effect that this may have, but I also note that passengers will still be able to make journeys between the North-West and South West of England, albeit that such journeys will now require a change of trains.

“The existing 10 direct services per week are provided as non-franchised passenger services by Arriva Trains Wales, without subsidy from the Department for Transport, and they have made a decision to discontinue the service.”

Withdrawal of the service will mean the end of passenger trains using the Maindee Loop line at Newport, Gwent, but the Minister says the line will continue to have freight and non-passenger services operating over it, and Network Rail will maintain the section of track as a diversionary route for passenger services.

“There still remains the possibility for a service operator to apply to Network Rail for Access Rights to run railway passenger services along the Maindee Loop,” says the Transport Minister.


SOURCE RAILNEWS