Agenda item

Council notes:

1.   The new train timetable introduced on May 20th saw the biggest changes across the UK network for more than a decade.

2.   Northern Rail did very little consultation on its proposed changes. Stockport Council was not consulted, nor were rail users.

3.   The new timetable has resulted in chaotic scenes with large numbers of services cancelled or delayed.

4.   Even if the new timetable had worked perfectly, services for Stockport including the Manchester Airport, Hazel Grove and Goyt Valley lines would still have seen a drop in services.  Stations such as Gatley, Heald Green and Hazel Grove have lost services, especially in the morning peak, and there are far fewer services stopping at all intermediate stations along these lines.

5.   Politicians from across the political spectrum have been up in arms, demanding that the chaos that followed May 20th be resolved.

6.   There has as yet been no clear or consistent explanation for what went wrong or how to fix it. Driver shortages, overrunning electrification works, Northern Rail slowness in timetabling and Transport for the North/Department for Transport policy have all been blamed at some point.

7.   This is harming our economy and causing real problems for Stockport residents.

8.   With the next timetable change due in December, time is short to resolve these issues.

Council believes:

1.   While cancelled and delayed trains have rightly grabbed the headlines, the underlying problem of reduced Northern Rail services on many lines, including the Manchester Airport, Hazel Grove and Goyt Valley lines, must not be forgotten.

2.   As a minimum, the December timetable change should see the services across Stockport which have deteriorated revert to the pre-May 20th number, speed and frequency of services to all stations.

3.   We need to understand why this has happened so the lessons can be learned and it doesn’t happen again.

Council resolves:

1.   To ask the Chief Executive to write to the following organisations: Northern Rail, Network Rail, Department for Transport, Transport for the North, Transport for Greater Manchester, GMCA and TransPennine Express.

2.   That the letter requests that the local rail services across Stockport which have deteriorated including Heald Green, Gatley and Hazel Grove stations be, at the least, restored to pre-May 20th levels in the December 2018 timetable changes.

Moved by:                  Councillor Graham Greenhalgh

Seconded by:           Councillor Adrian Nottingham

MOVED AND SECONDED - Council notes:

1.   The new train timetable introduced on May 20th saw the biggest changes across the UK network for more than a decade.

2.   Northern Rail did very little consultation on its proposed changes. Stockport Council was not consulted, nor were rail users.

3.   The new timetable has resulted in chaotic scenes with large numbers of services cancelled or delayed.

4.   Even if the new timetable had worked perfectly, services for Stockport including the Manchester Airport, Hazel Grove and Goyt Valley lines would still have seen a drop in services.  Stations such as Gatley, Heald Green and Hazel Grove have lost services, especially in the morning peak, and there are far fewer services stopping at all intermediate stations along these lines.

5.   Politicians from across the political spectrum have been up in arms, demanding that the chaos that followed May 20th be resolved.

6.   There has as yet been no clear or consistent explanation for what went wrong or how to fix it. Driver shortages, overrunning electrification works, Northern Rail slowness in timetabling and Transport for the North/Department for Transport policy have all been blamed at some point.

7.   This is harming our economy and causing real problems for Stockport residents.

8.   With the next timetable change due in December, time is short to resolve these issues.

Council believes:

1.   While cancelled and delayed trains have rightly grabbed the headlines, the underlying problem of reduced Northern Rail services on many lines, including the Manchester Airport, Hazel Grove and Goyt Valley lines, must not be forgotten.

2.   As a minimum, the December timetable change should see the services across Stockport which have deteriorated revert to the pre-May 20th number, speed and frequency of services to all stations.

3.   We need to understand why this has happened so the lessons can be learned and it doesn’t happen again.

Council resolves:

1.   To ask the Chief Executive to write to the following organisations: Northern Rail, Network Rail, Department for Transport, Transport for the North, Transport for Greater Manchester, GMCA and TransPennine Express.

2.   That the letter requests that the local rail services across Stockport which have deteriorated including Heald Green, Gatley and Hazel Grove stations be, at the least, restored to pre-May 20th levels in the December 2018 timetable changes.

AMENDMENT MOVED AND SECONDED - Council notes:

1.   The new train timetable introduced on May 20th saw the biggest changes across the UK network for more than a decade.

2.   Northern Rail did very little consultation on its proposed changes. Stockport Council was not consulted, nor were rail users.

3.   The new timetable has resulted in chaotic scenes with large numbers of services cancelled or delayed.

4.   Even if the new timetable had worked perfectly, services for Stockport including the Manchester Airport, Hazel Grove and Goyt Valley lines would still have seen a drop in services.  Stations such as Davenport, Woodsmoor, Heaton Chapel, Gatley, Heald Green and Hazel Grove have lost services, especially in the morning peak, and there are far fewer services stopping at all intermediate stations along these lines.

5.   Politicians from across the political spectrum have been up in arms, demanding that the chaos that followed May 20th be resolved.

6.   There has as yet been no clear or consistent explanation for what went wrong or how to fix it. Driver shortages, overrunning electrification works, Northern Rail slowness in timetabling and Transport for the North/Department for Transport policy have all been blamed at some point.

7.   This is harming our economy and causing real problems for Stockport residents.

8.   With the next timetable change due in December, time is short to resolve these issues.

Council believes:

1.   While cancelled and delayed trains have rightly grabbed the headlines, the underlying problem of reduced Northern Rail services on many lines, including the Manchester Airport, Hazel Grove and Goyt Valley lines, must not be forgotten.

2.   As a minimum, the December timetable change should see the services across Stockport which have deteriorated revert to the pre-May 20th number, speed and frequency of services to all stations.

3.   We need to understand why this has happened so the lessons can be learned and it doesn’t happen again.

Council resolves:

1.   To ask the Chief Executive to write to the following organisations: Northern Rail, Network Rail, Department for Transport, Transport for the North, Transport for Greater Manchester, GMCA and TransPennine Express.

2.   That the letter requests that the local rail services across Stockport which have deteriorated including Davenport, Woodsmoor, Heaton Chapel, Heald Green, Gatley and Hazel Grove stations be, at the least, restored to pre-May 20th levels in the December 2018 timetable changes.

AMENDMENT CARRIED

The amendment was then put as the substantive motion and it was

RESOLVED - Council notes:

1.   The new train timetable introduced on May 20th saw the biggest changes across the UK network for more than a decade.

2.   Northern Rail did very little consultation on its proposed changes. Stockport Council was not consulted, nor were rail users.

3.   The new timetable has resulted in chaotic scenes with large numbers of services cancelled or delayed.

4.   Even if the new timetable had worked perfectly, services for Stockport including the Manchester Airport, Hazel Grove and Goyt Valley lines would still have seen a drop in services.  Stations such as Davenport, Woodsmoor, Heaton Chapel, Gatley, Heald Green and Hazel Grove have lost services, especially in the morning peak, and there are far fewer services stopping at all intermediate stations along these lines.

5.   Politicians from across the political spectrum have been up in arms, demanding that the chaos that followed May 20th be resolved.

6.   There has as yet been no clear or consistent explanation for what went wrong or how to fix it. Driver shortages, overrunning electrification works, Northern Rail slowness in timetabling and Transport for the North/Department for Transport policy have all been blamed at some point.

7.   This is harming our economy and causing real problems for Stockport residents.

8.   With the next timetable change due in December, time is short to resolve these issues.

Council believes:

1.   While cancelled and delayed trains have rightly grabbed the headlines, the underlying problem of reduced Northern Rail services on many lines, including the Manchester Airport, Hazel Grove and Goyt Valley lines, must not be forgotten.

2.   As a minimum, the December timetable change should see the services across Stockport which have deteriorated revert to the pre-May 20th number, speed and frequency of services to all stations.

3.   We need to understand why this has happened so the lessons can be learned and it doesn’t happen again.

Council resolves:

1.   To ask the Chief Executive to write to the following organisations: Northern Rail, Network Rail, Department for Transport, Transport for the North, Transport for Greater Manchester, GMCA and TransPennine Express.

2.   That the letter requests that the local rail services across Stockport which have deteriorated including Davenport, Woodsmoor, Heaton Chapel, Heald Green, Gatley and Hazel Grove stations be, at the least, restored to pre-May 20th levels in the December 2018 timetable changes.