The Department for Transport has written to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) noting how much competition there will be for free paths into Manchester Airport station, even though it now has four platforms (RAIL 788).
Arriva Trains Wales lodged a Track Access Application with the ORR in autumn 2015, to extend some off-peak services from North Wales to Manchester Piccadilly through to Manchester Airport starting with the May 2016 timetable change.
The DfT’s letter acknowledges that the ATW proposal offers passenger benefits, but also noted that “on conclusion of the Northern and TPE franchise competitions, there were likely to be other competing pressures for train paths on the route between central Manchester and the Airport,” Transport Minister Andrew Jones said in a Commons Written Answer on January 5.
“The purpose of the letter was to draw the ORR’s attention to the likelihood of such pressures emerging, and to observe that ATW’s application should be considered alongside the proposals from the successful Northern and TPE bidders to ensure that maximum passenger benefit is obtained from the train paths available,” said Jones, replying to Ian Lucas (Labour, Wrexham).
Andrewjgwilt1989 - 14/01/2016 21:34
Plus there could be a new direct service between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria to Manchester Airport which a new train operator could be called "Manchester Express" connecting the 2 major stations in Manchester City Centre to Manchester International Airport which would take approximately 20 minutes just like Heathrow Express, Gatwick Express and Stansted Express that are train operators that goes from Central London to London's major airports.