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Expect yet more delays

Eileen Payne
19/11/2003

STOCKPORT'S new £3.5m railway station will open on Friday - two months behind schedule. But, incredibly, the station's newly-created platform will not be in operation until autumn next year.

The rail line which goes through the platform, to be known as number one, has not yet been connected to the system and does not have signalling.

The opening ceremony for the revamped station should have taken place on September 8, but has been delayed until this Friday.

The ceremony was delayed because the Railway Inspectorate was not able to re-inspect the work in time for the previous date and booking equipment for the ticket office was not ready in time.

On Friday, some of the best station facilities in the North West will be unveiled, including a state-of-the-art booking office. impressive new exterior, refurbishment of the dingy subway and more car parking spaces for disabled people.

But the impressive new platform will NOT be in use until September 2004. A spokesman for Network Rail explained: "This platform will not be in use until the work on the modernisation of the West Coast Main Line is completed next year.

"The track alongside this platform is not yet connected up to the main network. It was never intended to bring this platform into use until the signalling to it is completed," he added.

The spokesman said they would shortly be having talks with the Strategic Rail Authority about it.

Direct access on to the platforms is being provided for passengers with tickets and there is a lift down to the booking office for people with mobility problems or heavy luggage.

Stockport has been modernised under the Retail 2000 concept to make it more customer-friendly. The only other stations in the North West to have been modernised under this concept are Manchester Piccadilly and Stoke-on-Trent.

Labour councillor Maureen Rowles, spokeswoman for the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority, described the delayed operation of the newly-created platform as "a great shame".

"It's disappointing that the station platform will not be ready until next year, but at the end of the day, it's due to the complications of the various agencies involved," she said. "Hopefully it will be resolved quicker than estimated."