Campaigners trying to fight off a threat to Southport's direct rail service to Manchester Piccadilly have warned that local opposition must act quickly to make itself heard before time runs out.

A controversial consultation overseen by the Department for Transport (DfT) is due to close on March 10th and local residents and commuters are being advised to respond to it swiftly and also sign an online petition telling the DfT "Hands Off" the route.

Asking people to reply "No Change" to the consultation document, critics say it is deeply-flawed and a "stacked deck" against Southport as all of the three options offered actually result in removing the town's direct service to the south of Manchester.

They point out that just a few years ago the DfT tried to remove the service by misleading local residents and was finally defeated in a hard-fought campaign but is now back once again with less than transparent methods.

Councillor Greg Myers, co-organiser of the online petition, says support is growing as the news spreads but residents and commuters need to realise time is running out:

"Our "Hands off" message to the DfT is gaining significant local support, with nearly 600 signatures, so far. It's also now been backed by a wide array of local interests."

"The likes of local passenger association OPSTA, local business leaders like Norman Wallis, Sefton Council's Leader, Deputy and multiple councillors are fully behind it and there's also strong support within the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, which we expect will recommend rejection of all three options this week."

"But there are less than two weeks to go before this bogus consultation is finished - so, we need everyone to sign and share our petition message and respond 'No Change' to this stacked deck consultation. Let's make clear to the government that this threat to our town just isn't acceptable."

Councillor Gordon Friel, who is Sefton's transport representative on the Combined Authority and a long-time campaigner to save the service, added:

"We've asked for a united front on this across any notional political divides as it's vital that as many local leaders and residents as possible join us. We'd also like to those who have stepped forward already."

"The DfT has to look again at how it has framed the consultation in this biased way and stop trying it on. Southport proved the value of this service very recently, it's ridiculous it has to go through this again."

The petition can be signed and shared from here: https://www.change.org/HandsOffSouth...sterPiccadilly

State "No Change" via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consul...rth-of-england

What am I missing?

Under the proposal 2 direct trains to Manchester Victoria, from Victoria jump on the tram to Piccadilly only takes 9 minutes with services running from 05:30 - Midnight.

I've travelled to Manchester regularly by train under normal circumstances and for me Victoria is the preferred stop, a short walk to:

The Arena (actually no walk at all)
The Print Works
The Corn Exchange
The Arndale Centre
Northern Quarter
Central Retail District (M&S, Selfridge's)
Manchester Cathedral
Christmas Markets

Originally Posted by gsgsgs

What am I missing?

Under the proposal 2 direct trains to Manchester Victoria, from Victoria jump on the tram to Piccadilly only takes 9 minutes with services running from 05:30 - Midnight.

I've travelled to Manchester regularly by train under normal circumstances and for me Victoria is the preferred stop, a short walk to:

The Arena (actually no walk at all)
The Print Works
The Corn Exchange
The Arndale Centre
Northern Quarter
Central Retail District (M&S, Selfridge's)
Manchester Cathedral
Christmas Markets

Numerous surveys have shown that the majority of passengers require a service running through Piccadilly either for onward travel from Piccadilly, the Airport or South Manchester destinations , my own journeys require the stop at Deansgate, on the occasions that that is not possible it often adds upto half an hour to the journey, this is all about the service being removed and given to another destination. A couple of years ago the curve was built to connect Victoria and Piccadilly, this is little used and only exasperates the issue, what needs to be done is to increase the capacity along the Castlefield Corridor.

gsgsgs says: "What am I missing? …"

map highlighting the Ordsall Chord

Paradoxically it appears, the Ordsall Chord, a major rail infrastructure upgrade permitting through services from north & east via Victoria and Piccadilly to Manchester Airport rail station and beyond has shunted Southport's Manchester Airport rail link onto a siding. The Castlefield Corridor congestion is one consequence of that.

The ill-considered HS2 is implicated in all this!

Originally Posted by gsgsgs

What am I missing?...

I've travelled to Manchester regularly by train under normal circumstances and for me Victoria is the preferred stop,

Hi, while it works for you personally, what you're missing is that it doesn't for an awful lot of rail users, or that the town which will take a hit economically from this at a time when it needs all the help it can get, not more problems added.

That's why the likes of local passenger association OPSTA, local authority representatives, the LCRA, local business leaders like Norman Wallis and Southport BID etc are all very worried about this.

It's also the underhand way the DfT has gone about this... and it's not the first time they've tried to mislead local residents and commuters, just a few years ago it was trying to hoodwink folks with a "classic handling strategy" as they put it which consisted of misinformation and distraction - this time it's not making it obvious, in a consultation that isn't exactly trumpeted in the first place, that the three options they offer will all lead to removal of this service.

Southport is getting stuffed by the government on this unless enough voices are heard and pressure can be brought to stop it.

gnalist says: "…the three options they offer will all lead to removal of this service. | Southport is getting stuffed by the government on this unless enough voices are heard and pressure can be brought to stop it."

Until such time as the Castlefield Corridor congestion is resolved, some rail passenger services from the north west and north east to suburban south Manchester, the Airport and beyond will be blocked. It is reasonable to suppose that interested parties from various towns will be being roused to speak up.

The spectacular and unnecessary expense of ultra high speed rail (i.e. HS2), including the costly amelioration at the London end, have precluded consideration of the desirable passenger rail improvements across the north of England. You might note for instance that some have suggested tunnelling in Manchester to rectify the north /south bottleneck and simultaneously improve east /west rail connections across the north of England. [Instead, a tunnel under the London Borough of Camden in addition to the hideously expensive and much delayed Crossrail!]

It's all about London's convenience

Originally Posted by Alikado

Numerous surveys have shown that the majority of passengers require a service running through Piccadilly either for onward travel from Piccadilly, the Airport or South Manchester destinations , my own journeys require the stop at Deansgate, on the occasions that that is not possible it often adds upto half an hour to the journey, this is all about the service being removed and given to another destination. A couple of years ago the curve was built to connect Victoria and Piccadilly, this is little used and only exasperates the issue, what needs to be done is to increase the capacity along the Castlefield Corridor.

Originally Posted by gnalist

Hi, while it works for you personally, what you're missing is that it doesn't for an awful lot of rail users, or that the town which will take a hit economically from this at a time when it needs all the help it can get, not more problems added.

That's why the likes of local passenger association OPSTA, local authority representatives, the LCRA, local business leaders like Norman Wallis and Southport BID etc are all very worried about this.

It's also the underhand way the DfT has gone about this... and it's not the first time they've tried to mislead local residents and commuters, just a few years ago it was trying to hoodwink folks with a "classic handling strategy" as they put it which consisted of misinformation and distraction - this time it's not making it obvious, in a consultation that isn't exactly trumpeted in the first place, that the three options they offer will all lead to removal of this service.

Southport is getting stuffed by the government on this unless enough voices are heard and pressure can be brought to stop it.

I hadn't taken onward travel in to account which is obviously a deciding factor, can you still travel directly to Manchester Airport from Southport? Northern Rail website is running a "COVID" timetable so you can't at present but under a normal service can you.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember that all Southport to Manchester trains used to go to Victoria and none to Piccadilly. This was pre Metro Link tram days and onward travel meant catching a free shuttle bus between the 2.

Originally Posted by salus.populi

Correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember that all Southport to Manchester trains used to go to Victoria and none to Piccadilly. This was pre Metro Link tram days and onward travel meant catching a free shuttle bus between the 2.

The shuttle bus still runs there is an alternative change at at Salford Crescent but the services are far from regular and you are very lucky if it's the next train in, sometimes returning it works by getting a Blackpool train and change at the Crescent or Northwestern. Blackpool has a Half Hourly service to Piccadilly, hourly to the Airport.

01/03/2021 01:26 PM salus.populi says: "Correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember that all Southport to Manchester trains used to go to Victoria and none to Piccadilly. This was pre Metro Link tram days and onward travel meant catching a free shuttle bus between the 2."

Out of curiosity, which "used to" are you thinking of?
In the 1980s when I travelled between Southport and Manchester, I remember occasionally dis/embarking at Victoria; but, I often brought a cycle and would use Salford. On occasions I recall changing trains perhaps at Pendleton.

Originally Posted by sandGroundZero

01/03/2021 01:26 PM salus.populi says: "Correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember that all Southport to Manchester trains used to go to Victoria and none to Piccadilly. This was pre Metro Link tram days and onward travel meant catching a free shuttle bus between the 2."

Out of curiosity, which "used to" are you thinking of?
In the 1980s when I travelled between Southport and Manchester, I remember occasionally dis/embarking at Victoria; but, I often brought a cycle and would use Salford. On occasions I recall changing trains perhaps at Pendleton.

Mid 80s before Salford Crescent opened.