Greater Manchester passengers benefit from station improvements

The latest stage in a programme of railway station improvements in Greater Manchester is now complete – with still more to come.

Transport for Greater Manchester, along with Stockport South East Manchester Multi Modal Study (SEMMMS) funding, has provided the latest improvements for rail passengers at eight smaller stations, as part of its Rail Stations Improvement Strategy (RSIS).

The work funded at Ashton-under-Lyne, Bramhall, Brinnington, Marple, Rose Hill Marple, Reddish North, Westhoughton and Walkden stations includes improvements such as passenger help points, public address systems, electronic information displays and CCTV cameras.

The work at these stations is the fourth stage in the wider RSIS programme of enhancements at 51 Greater Manchester railway stations, funded by TfGM, the Department for Transport, Stockport South East Manchester Multi Modal Study (SEMMMS) and Wigan Council. The recently completed work brings the total of stations improved under the scheme to 35 since 2007 at a cost of £3 million to date, with 16 more stations planned to benefit in the near future.

Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, said: “If we’re to encourage more people to travel by rail – and to make rail journeys easier and more convenient for those who already use it for commuting and leisure – it’s important that passengers feel safe, secure and confident in their surroundings.

“Providing facilities like up-to-date information displays and public address systems so it’s clear which platform you need and when your train is due, putting in help points so passengers can call for assistance, and installing CCTV cameras as a deterrent to antisocial behaviour are all part of that.

“These sorts of facilities are familiar to people who use larger, inter-city stations but it’s important for passengers at smaller local stations to benefit from them too.”