Rail link refusal 'unfair' on East Lancs

11:55pm Friday 14th March 2008

Comments (4)   Have your say »

By Tom Moseley »

THE GOVERNMENT'S refusal to fund crucial rail improvements is "unfair" on the people of East Lancashire, according to a business leader.

Mike Damms, the chief executive of the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said the move was needed from a business point of view.

He added: "They have shown a complete lack of joined-up policy and have failed to respond to the needs of the area.

"We have got people in an area of relative decline 20 or 30 minutes away from people in relative affluence, and it's simply unfair not to connect them.

"To raise aspirations, you have got to make people mobile."

Blackburn with Darwen council leader Colin Rigby said the town's MP, justice minister Jack Straw, would play a crucial role if the scheme was to be saved.

He said: "We can lobby as a council, but it's for the MPs to speak up for us and I have faith in Jack Straw - it's essential to have a high-profile MP who can talk to people at that level."

He added: "Last time I tried to drive to Manchester it took me almost two hours, and it's the sort of thing that will restrict the growth of our borough."

Mr Straw said there was an "overwhelming" case in favour of the work.

He added: "The services at peak time are totally overloaded. It's absurd that the line that's most-used, East Lancashire to Manchester, is the most restricted.

"If people are to enjoy the prosperity that is apparent in the city of Manchester they need to be able to get there."

The Clitheroe to Manchester Victoria service has been rated one of the North West's worst-performing routes, with almost one in every five trains either cancelled or at least five minutes late.

Councillor Alan Cottam, the council's executive member for regeneration, said: "We have been pressing both on a political and officer level with the relevant agencies over the last 12 months."

He said the council was liaising with the North West Regional Development Agency over the "wider economic benefits" of upgrading the service from East Lancashire to Manchester.

Rail user John Yates travels from Darwen every morning to work at Blackburn market.

The 32-year-old said: "My train has been cancelled three times this week.

"It's really bad and lots of people are getting very mad.

"They want to start a campaign because it really needs doing up."