Business is booming in Manchester - but if the city is such a thriving world leader, why is its workforce travelling to work like cattle? Clarissa Satchell looks at the unglamorous side of the city's transport infrastructure that no one seems to want to talk about
It is a Monday morning and Gareth Brewerton is preparing for the first slog of the week. But it is not the prospect of a week at work that instils dread in Brewerton, who enjoys his job as an associate solicitor at Gorvins Solicitors in Stockport. It is his daily journey to and from work from his home in Sale that regularly ruins his week. He catches a tram from Sale to Altrincham then waits for a train to Stockport with scores of other commuters."It is a cattle market. The train is full by the time it gets to Altrincham," he says. "This morning I had to stand by the doors and when they opened inwards, I had the pleasure of being battered. I am using the train because our car was stolen.
"I'm also an environmentalist and wanted to give it a go. But it's so awful and so expensive that we're now looking to get another car. There is absolutely no incentive for the commuter to use the train."
Miranda Allan runs Allan Environmental Consultants in Wigan and is vice-chairman of Wigan Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the transport and environment group at Manchester Chamber. She uses the train to travel to Manchester for meetings.
She says: "I've heard the term window-licking when it comes to travelling by train. It's most apt when it comes to my experiences. The trains were packed and uncomfortable. I have seen people being left behind on the platform as the trains were full.
"If the train is going to be an attractive prospect for business people, they need room to sit, relax and read a newspaper. Otherwise it's going to be very difficult to persuade people to give up their clean and comfortable cars."
These experiences are likely to strike a chord with thousands of commuters working in Greater Manchester. Brian Iddon, MP for Bolton South East, is regularly contacted by constituents about overcrowding.
"I've had a large number of complaints over the years about the overcrowding between Bolton and the Manchester and Salford stations," he says. "Only last week I couldn't get a seat when travelling to Manchester. They're cattle trucks and I'm very worried about the safety of passengers, especially those forced to stand where the carriages join. If there was an accident I am afraid someone standing would be injured."
In May 2006 he addressed parliament on the matter after one of his constituents wrote about overcrowding to train operator Northern, which took over the franchise covering the North West from First North Western two years ago.
The reply from Northern said: "It is not possible to dangerously overcrowd a train. Rail vehicles are designed to operate safely when crush loaded."
"I was staggered - and feel strongly that there should be a legal limit on the number of people allowed to stand on a train," says Iddon. "It seems the measure at the moment is whether they can cram more people in. When it gets to that point, which it frequently does, people are left standing on the platform at Kearsley and Farnworth.
"We are told that Northern are sticking to the franchise agreement and are unable to bring in extra carriages. If that is the case, the government should renegotiate the franchise. Many people are paying over the odds for weekly and season tickets yet are turning up late for work because they can't board an overcrowded train. If we encourage people to use the railways, we need to make provision for growth."
Services on First's Northern TransPennine Express commuter route have become increasingly crowded in recent years, sparking complaints from customers. Passengers say that services from Liverpool are often full by the time they reach Warrington Central and Birchwood and it is the same story when Leeds trains get to Huddersfield and Stalybridge. Extra investment is on the way with a £3200m fleet of 51 new Class 185 trains, built by Siemens, gradually being rolled out.
David Mallender from First TransPennine Express says: "When we took over the franchise at the beginning of 2004, we were getting complaints about overcrowding from Liverpool. We took nine two-car trains and turned them into six three-car trains in direct response to this. It is something we take seriously.
"The new trains all come in three-car formations. That will enable us to run them in six-car formations on the busiest routes at peak times. At the moment, five is the longest we can do.
"But the idea that everyone will get a seat is not achievable. Urban areas all have their peaks at the same time and there is a lot of traffic coming into Manchester from a large area. There is a limit to capacity. We have to work as efficiently as we can with what we have."
David Sidebottom, passenger link manager for public transport campaigner Passenger Focus, believes that flexible working is extending the peak travelling times.
"The morning peak used to last from 7.30am to 9.30am but it's now more like 6.30am to 10am," he says. "Operators have to stretch the rolling stock they have over a longer period and there has been a huge growth in commuter traffic. There are plans to create about 40,000 new jobs in Leeds and 50,000 extra people are expected to live in Manchester in the next decade.
"There is little in Northern's franchise agreement to allow for investing to cater for future passenger growth. We aim to work with the operators and the passenger transport executives (PTEs) to put pressure on the government to put in extra investment.
"There has also been a discrepancy concerning the numbers of people travelling. However, Northern have now started using automatic counting equipment. This should help them to target the busiest routes more effectively and make a stronger case for investment."
Greater Manchester PTE has submitted a bid to the government's Transport Innovation Fund for £3150m to invest in rail, including new trains. If successful, the new trains would not be ready until 2009. But Keith Howcroft, strategy director at the PTE, revealed there is a plan B.
"We recognise that there are routes where overcrowding at peak times is a problem. I live in Bolton and frequently come in on trains which are overcrowded and uncomfortable," he says. "We are working with Northern to see if we can buy in some additional trains held by rolling stock leasing companies. Every year, because of changes to franchises, they end up with cascades - trains which are in good condition but surplus to requirements.
"If we can source some carriages which are compatible with Northern's rolling stock, we will then put a bid to the Passenger Transport Authority asking them to fund this. It will be expensive but would be worthwhile to ease pressure at peak times."
Northern is the country's largest train operating company, covering 529 stations in the North West, North East and Yorkshire and Humberside.
Northern didn't make anyone available for interview, but issued this statement from Jamie Ross, area director: "We have seen significant passenger growth in Manchester and Liverpool over the last 12 months. This is due to the boom in the economy in cities in the north of England and Northern's improved performance, as demonstrated in the latest national passenger survey.
"The independent survey results show overall passenger satisfaction has increased to 84 per cent, up 5 per cent year on year, continuing the upward trend and the best performance ever for Northern. Areas showing particular improvement include punctuality and reliability rising four points to 79 per cent. The knock-on effect is that services are getting busier, particularly during peak travel periods.
"We have invested in Automatic Passenger Counter equipment, which will give us more data on train loadings and will be used to optimise train planning. We already have plans to strengthen 22 train services to four carriages from two in the Manchester and Liverpool areas every weekday - and continue to work closely with GMPTE and Merseytravel to identify other opportunities to increase capacity in these areas."
The complexity and size of the rail industry, coupled with the sometimes painfully slow pace of change, could leave businesses feeling dispirited, helpless and frustrated. However, Angie Robinson, chief executive of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, says she is happy to take up the cause.
"If businesses talk to the Chamber of Commerce about this, we will then have the dialogue on their behalf," she says.
"We need to know the pinch points - the problems businesses are having with staff arriving late due to train overcrowding and when visiting clients. We need to know how much this costs them.
"A clear transport system is a minimum requirement for businesses. A congested transport system is damaging. If we want business to thrive and grow, we need to be able to move."