Freehold Metrolink station safety

SECURITY concerns at the Freehold Metrolink station have been an issue since the opening of the new Oldham line in 2012.

Youths gather late into the evening both from the local community and much further afield as they use the tram network to ‘station hop’ without paying the fare.

Matters escalated when a passenger was injured following a brick being thrown at a passing tram. But for local people this did not come as a surprise and many has been warning of a serious incident for many years and months.

Progress has been made and Transport for Greater Manchester have recently invested in increased security at this and other stations.

Problems remain with continued anti-social behaviour, vandalism and CCTV which was installed damaged and removed.

In addition the lifts required by passengers to gain access to the platform are not working. On our visit we met a women with mobility problems who struggled up the steps with her shopping and walking stick. The lift is more than a convenience it is essential for many people.

In order to protect the risk of damage to neighbouring properties from stones from the track being thrown the transport body has agreed to fund the installation of netting and so I joined Cllr Colin McLaren to speak to local residents to gather support for the net.

Local people were supportive and appreciated the work being done to help resolve this longstanding complaint.

We’ve a long way yet to go but it feels as though some progress is being made.