Poor rail service ‘holding Denton back,’ says MP

Denton Railway Station Empty | Photo by Gary Carter

DENTON’S MP has told the government the area is being ‘held back’ by its shocking rail service.

And Andrew Gwynne has urged the re-consideration of ideas previously put forward.

The town’s train station is officially the quietest in the country, with just 30 full-priced entries and exits between April 2023 and March 2024.

And Mr Gwynne has told Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander that making the line busier – only two services a week stop there – would bring economic benefits.

He said about Denton and neighbouring Reddish South: “These areas are being held back by a lack of quality rail services, stifling economic growth, employment and educational opportunities, and access to health care.

“Furthermore, west Tameside and Stockport are suffering from heavy traffic congestion, and subsequently, poor air quality.

“A number of the communities along the railway line include areas of heavy deprivation, low wages, high unemployment and industrial decline.

“However, at the end of the line, there are areas of opportunity and employment, with Stockport emerging as an area of strong economic growth and central Manchester experiencing a sustained period of growth across multiple sectors.

“Sadly, the railway stations that serve these communities in Tameside and Stockport are some of the quietest in the UK, with rail services stopping at Denton and Reddish South stations twice a week and only on a Saturday.

Andrew Gwynne MP

“There is significant scope to unlock these areas through proper investment and more regular train services that would deliver a stronger economy and public transport system for east Manchester, Greater Manchester and the North West of England.”

Bringing more services to the line through Denton is not a new request.

However, it looks more likely a train-tram scheme may be introduced as a lack of capacity causes further issues.

Mr Gwynne added: “There have been calls and efforts to reform this line for decades now, under various schemes such as the Rail Utilisation Strategy launched by Network Rail in the late 2000s, the Restoring Your Railways Ideas fund, which produced a study supported by Transport For Greater Manchester, Tameside Council and the MPs who represent areas of the line.

“Unfortunately, the outcome of this bid was unsuccessful under the previous Conservative government.

“TfGM is presently exploring the feasibility of Tram-Train services utilising the line. This is also not to mention the schemes such as Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2 that both failed to come to fruition.

“These capacity issues will harm growth not just in west Tameside and Stockport, but across the Manchester region and North West as a whole.

“Network Rail is presently undertaking a South Manchester Strategic Advice study, which is due to complete at the end of January 2025.

“However, there is uncertainty around whether the results of this study will be available on the planned date and when the results of this study will translate into a pipeline of interventions that will benefit Denton and Reddish South stations.

“With Greater Manchester reclaiming its public transport system under the Bee Network and with the upcoming renationalisation of the nation’s railvays, this provides an opportunity to unleash the power contained within Greater Manchester’s rail network, to unshackle the communities held back, and to deliver needed growth and connectivity in the city and region.

“We do hope that you will consider re-examining the proposals put forward by previous rounds and work with us to deliver the change that the communities of Denton and Reddish deserve.”