better than bus - so why are we waiting?

Pop music impresario Pete Waterman hopped on board an East Lancashire Railway locomotive with transport minister Norman Baker – and called for the line to be opened up to commuter trains. The chart-topping record producer and steam-train enthusiast met Mr Baker at Bolton Street station, Bury, before they caught the train to Rawtenstall. He told him it was time to 'stop talking' and restore commercial services to the line for the first time since 1972. Bosses at the railway - which reopened as a tourist attraction in 1987 and is run by volunteers - had earlier met the minister to discuss the issue, as well as plans to extend the line to Castleton in Rochdale. Currently there are no commuter trains linking old stops in the Irwell Valley, including Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall, to the Bury to Manchester line. Mr Waterman said: “I think it's time to stop talking and start doing it. We've talked about it for at least 15 years. It makes perfect sense to me. The infrastructure is here. We would have to put more signalling in. “To run a steam railway is expensive. If you can use the railway for more than that, it works out for everybody's benefit.” Studies by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) have estimated that the line would cost £30m to restore. Mr Baker said it was now down to the railway, Rossendale, Bury and Rochdale councils, TfGM and Network Rail to come up with a business case for the scheme. He said: “Clearly it has to stack up economically. We haven't seen the hard figures to see if it is going to work. We will give what help we can to try and make that case.” Junior minister Mr Baker, a Liberal Democrat, also announced £1m improvements to disabled access for Victoria Station in Manchester - as well as a new scheme to force utility companies to cut disruption caused by road works in Greater Manchester's 10 boroughs. The so-called 'joint-permit scheme' will allow TfGM to set conditions for the timings of works - with companies fined up to £5,000 if they overrun. It is the first time the scheme has applied across more than one council. Buy Concert Tickets on Eba

Read more at: http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1584019_pete-waterman-calls-for-east-lancashire-railway-to-be-opened-up-to-commuter-trains