Rural rail should not just be seen in terms of commuting into cities

Looking at rail service delivery in a post-Covid world, our response highlights the importance of rail for accessing green spaces and beauty spots as well as commuting.

CPRE Cheshire, working with CPRE Lancashire, Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester and Friends of the Lake District, has submitted a response to the Manchester Recovery Task Force Consultation looking at timetable options to improve rail performance in the North of England. The response considers the proposals in detail, as well as expressing an overall view that the focus on traffic in and out of city centres works to the detriment of connectivity and frequency of services in surrounding towns and rural areas.

The response also highlights the fact that, post-Covid, people may be working from home at least part of the time, making fewer rush-hour trips into city centres, which would increase capacity and potentially allow for new or enhanced services to support access to the countryside.

We urge the Department for Transport to make sure that all their plans are part of a holistic endeavour to mitigate climate change, protect the countryside for its own sake, and achieve a better quality of life.

You can download the response below.

CPRE response to Manchester Recovery Task Force consultation