Rory welcomes extra train capacity for Penrith and the Border

Rory today Thursday (1 March 2012) welcomed the announcement by the Department for Transport of 40 new carriages for the TransPennineExpress from 2013.

TransPennine Express’s  40 new carriages will be used on the Manchester to Scotland route following the electrification of the line between Manchester and the West Coast Main Line south of Wigan.  The new carriages will enable existing diesel rolling stock to be redeployed across the franchise to increase capacity into Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and Newcastle.

Commenting, Rory said: “This very welcome announcement is excellent news for commuters and rail users in Penrith and the Border. This Government investment in new carriages will boost capacity and reduce crowding. As people all over Cumbria know, the TransPennine Express is one of the busiest lines in the country, so this will provide real benefit to passengers. So far, 2012 is proving to be a great year for our train infrastructure, and I continue to meet with franchise bidders for the West Coast main line to discuss the upgrading of Penrith station.”

Rail Minister, Theresa Villiers said: “This is great news for passengers who will get faster, longer trains and more seats. Increasing capacity on some of the busiest routes in the country is a key part of the major programme of rail capacity expansion we have promised to deliver. It is a vital way of responding to passenger concerns about crowding and providing an important stimulus to economic growth. As rail travel becomes more popular operators must be able to meet growing demand and these new carriages will enable existing trains to be lengthened. These new trains will also run faster, which means extra train slots will come free, so that London Midland can fit more services into the timetable.”