30.01.15
Claims of yet more delays to Todmorden Curve services denied
Signalling work on the Todmorden Curve is taking place this weekend to prepare the £9m stretch of new track for new services from the May timetable change.
It had once been hoped that services would begin in December 2013, but delays have mounted, pushing the introduction back to May 2015.
One commenter on the railforums.co.uk site said this week: “A recent meeting of the Rochdale Transport Group was told that the introduction of a passenger service on the Todmorden curve has been deferred to the December 2015 timetable, presumably because rolling stock will not now be available for a May 2015 start.”
Northern Rail denied that, telling RTM today: “The latest information I have and that is being shared with the media is that the final work on the signalling is taking place this weekend, the final commissioning is being finished next weekend, and we are then going to be starting driver training, conductor training, route learning…to operate from the May timetable change. That’s the plan.”
The lines through Todmorden are closed this weekend for that signalling work, with bus replacement services between Hebden Bridge and Rochdale / Manchester Victoria / Burnley Manchester Road.
The original plan was for a cascaded Class 150 to serve the Todmorden Curve.
Hyndburn MP Graham Jones said of the previous delay – to May 2015: “It’s just shambolic how they can invest in a track but not have anything to run on it.”
Calderdale councillor Barry Collins told RTM today: “I raised it at a meeting of the West Yorkshire combined authorities passenger consultative group in Calderdale, and there was a representative from Northern Rail there. I asked him straight out, 'what’s the position on Todmorden Curve?', and he said it was on track and it would be open in May 2015.”
Addressing the comment that it could be delayed yet again to December 2015, he said: “I’m not going to say they’re wrong after what we’ve been through with this, some of which has been completely absurd.”
(Photo of Todmorden station copyright mwmbwls, Creative Commons. Top image: Ryan Taylor)