This week, I spoke in Parliament regarding the HS2 phase 2 cancellation and the Northern Powerhouse Rail project. I believe that generations to come will look back at this period of our history, when the Prime Minister woke up one morning and decided to cancel HS2, with regret and see it as a missed opportunityContinue reading “High-speed Rail for the North”
Category Archives: Transport
Labour’s plan to fix our railways
The railways have been allowed to be run into the ground with passengers paying the price. Its high time they were brought back into public ownership and run the national interest. Anyone who uses trains in England will know they are expensive, unreliable and not up to standard after a decade of underinvestment. It’s notContinue reading “Labour’s plan to fix our railways”
Bee Network Comes to Oldham
The Greater Manchester Bee Network expands to Oldham, Chadderton and Royton today. Buses will run more frequency, later into the evening, earlier in the morning, and operate in the public interest. Single ticketing across bus and tram and live bus times will make life much easier, and hopefully attract more people to use public transport.Continue reading “Bee Network Comes to Oldham”
Let’s take back control of our buses
Today I have submitted my response to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s public bus consultation on their proposal to create a London style bus franchising system. I support the proposal that they have put forward, though I remain committed to the idea that our public transport system should be wholly publicly owned and publicly ran.Continue reading “Let’s take back control of our buses”
#NorthernFail
There aren’t actually any train stations in Oldham West and Royton, but thousands of my constituents use both Mills Hill and Moston train stations to commute into central Manchester. So I’m well aware just how poor the service is and just how poor it has been for the entire time I’ve been an MP. ItContinue reading “#NorthernFail”
Bus franchising is the way forward
I know, because constituents regularly remind me, that the state of the bus service in Oldham and the rest of the city-region isn’t fit for purpose. Today the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has begun a public consultation period on whether to press ahead with a franchising system in our bus network. Major cities all aroundContinue reading “Bus franchising is the way forward”
HS2 & Northern Investment
Parliament debates the next phase of HS2 which sees the route now move north from Birmingham to Crewe, getting closer to Manchester. There is little doubt that the project is vulnerable, some critics will point to overspend and others to the impact on areas along the route, but too often MPs in the north areContinue reading “HS2 & Northern Investment”
