TRANSPORT chiefs fear local passengers will suffer with fewer trains after hearing details of how the cross-country rail network will be privatised.

Greater Manchester Transport Authority met with representatives from the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF) to ask questions about the planned privatisation of Intercity Cross Country, especially: lack of long distance services linking to Manchester Airport; reduced numbers of trains on each route; and lack of timetable control to prevent 'bunching' and long gaps.

After the meeting, chairman of GMPTE, Cllr Joe Clarke, said: "When the Government forced rail privatisation through Parliament, they promised the present level of services would be maintained. But now we see that there's no guarantee of that at all. They have broken their word yet again.

"The franchise proposal doesn't include any cross-country trains on the Manchester Airport-Scotland service. Since that line opened in 1993 it has been really popular with passengers who value the direct link. Services between Wigan, Bolton, Stockport, and central Manchester stations could also be reduced. The minimum service will be all they can force operators to provide - for example, only three trains each way on weekdays between Manchester and Edinburgh instead of five."

He added: "OPRAF say they expect operators to provide more where this can profitably be done. But they won't be able to insist on it. The level of services should be improved not drastically cut in order to reduce pollution and congestion from road traffic.

"It is all being rushed through. We were barely given a chance to make alternative proposals. We only had four days' notice of the May 13 meeting and they want to get comments on their proposals by June and complete privatisation later this year."

Intercity have even bought new trains to run it.

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