Following the Transport Secretary Philip Hammond's call for an "urgent reappraisal" of plans for 1,300 new rail carriages, because growth is predicted to be lower than expected, Metro Chairman Cllr Ryk Downes has stressed that additional carriages are urgently needed to cope with existing demand and reduce overcrowding.

The review was ordered following a National Audit Office report that suggested that future growth in passenger numbers will not be as great as expected.

Supporting economic growth

But Cllr Downes pointed out, future growth isn't the main concern for West Yorkshire's rail passengers.

"Metro has been arguing for some time for the additional carriages necessary to tackle current overcrowding and support economic growth across the city region," he said.

"It is hugely frustrating that out of the 182 carriages originally promised for Northern, only a handful have actually been approved so far. That's despite Northern now carrying 34% more passengers than what began as a 'no-growth' franchise in 2004.

"The National Audit Office report reveals that even before the recent spending decisions, the Department for Transport was not able to deliver as many additional carriages as originally planned. It also highlights the PTEs' concerns that passengers in the north would lose out compared to other areas.

"While we agree with many of the NAO's recommendations, we are concerned with the suggestion that demand may need to be 'managed', as it suggests increasing fares to price people off the system. This would contradict the Government's stated aim of putting an emphasis on more sustainable, low carbon transport initiatives.

"Good quality, affordable public transport is fundamental to the future economic growth of our cities."

Need to invest

"We believe the current pause in the process should be used to address the issues highlighted in the report and to develop a revised plan that provides a fairer allocation of rolling stock for the north and can be delivered quickly."

Cllr Downes also highlighted the need to invest in the existing rail network, as well as on large-scale infrastructure projects.

"Continued investment in the local network is needed alongside longer-term proposals, including high-speed rail," he said. "Much of the diesel rolling stock we currently have is past it's sell-by date and a rolling programme of electrification is likely to deliver the best value for money.

"We will be working very closely with new Ministers and MPs to make the case for the investment in carriages and infrastructure needed to support the economic recovery. In these tough financial times we will need to be even clearer in making our case for investment in the North."