Longer rail franchises and a fairer distribution of Government transport funding are among the answers to rail overcrowding, said Metro Chairman Cllr Chris Greaves today.

Responding to a report by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee that says overcrowding on trains in West Yorkshire will increase beyond already unacceptable overcrowding levels, Cllr Greaves said that franchises of 15 to 20 years would provide the incentive for rail operators, criticised in the report, to invest in new carriages.

As long as the appropriate performance checks were in place, offering rail operators longer franchises that require and make possible investment in new carriages, would help to address the problem, he said.

Highest growth

Cllr Greaves told BBC Radio's Five Live that according to the Department for Transport's own figures, since 2004 the Leeds city region has seen growth in rail users of 34%, the highest in the country. Despite this growth, which included a 6% rise on West Yorkshire's morning peak services between 2009 and 2010, Northern Rail had only been scheduled to receive eight out of 526 new carriages ordered nationally, and most of these were earmarked for the north-west.

"Northern Rail have done good job considering their franchise, was let on a 'no growth, basis which offers the company no incentive for them to invest in extra carriages," he said. "That is why we have the ridiculous situation of people driving to a station three miles in the wrong direction, so they have a greater chance of getting a seat on the train".

Innovative deal

Metro, in partnership with Northern and Yorkshire Forward had put together an innovative £20m funding deal which secured six additional trains for the local network but the problems needed to be addressed at a national level, continued Cllr Greaves.

"Despite our efforts, during this morning's peak 36% of trains will have carried passengers who did not get a seat and tonight 44% of trains will carry standing passengers, added Cllr Greaves. "I would welcome the opportunity to accompany Transport Secretary Philip Hammond on some of those trains to show him this is a problem that is affecting people in all parts of the country and not just the south east and London."