THE Government is to give Greater Manchester more authority to decide how to run the county's railway, Transport Secretary Alistair Darling announced today.
Publishing the white paper "The Future of Rail", Mr Darling said the new railway structure would be passenger, not industry, focused.
He would ensure money was spent on improving performance, not wasted through poor planning and needless bureaucracy.
The white paper outlines measures that will involve Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) in managing local railway lines.
Alistair Darling, Secretary of State for Transport, said: "Local transport decisions are best taken by people who know what's needed locally. They should be able to make informed decisions as to what works best and what they are willing to pay for.
"Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive already manages transport provision and I propose that in future it will be able to buy additional services and to transfer funding between rail and other transport modes."
"We will reform the funding arrangements and legislation for Manchester to provide more flexibility to make choices between rail and other forms of transport -- bus and light rail, for example."
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