The Conservatives’ broken private rail system is failing Stockport and failing Britain

Network Rail’s recent decision to invest in repairs for Stockport’s iconic viaduct was a victory for our town and the nation’s railways. One of the largest brick structures in Europe, the viaduct is a major feat of British engineering, and a symbol of what our railways can be at their best.

But in my constituency of Stockport, I can also see that our railways are under threat from Conservative mismanagement and private rail operators’ prioritisation of profit over real investment in staff and infrastructure.

I commend rail workers for their tireless hard work and commitment. But they, like passengers, have been badly let down by senior management at Avanti West Coast and other operators.

Like so many Stopfordians, I am appalled by Avanti’s neglect of Stockport railway station. One of the two doors at the main entrance to the station was left faulty for several weeks. Damp has spread throughout, leading paint to peel over large sections of the walls. The lifts are also frequently out of order, creating severe accessibility issues.

Constituents have written to me after having to carry family members up the stairs. Others have even been forced to abandon their journeys because they could not get to the platform. Poor accessibility resulting from a lack of step-free access also plagues Brinnington and Heaton Chapel stations in my constituency, and many more throughout Greater Manchester. What’s more, it was revealed that senior managers at Avanti described their contracts with the Government as “free money’” and boasted of continuing to receive bonuses despite providing a poor service. The contempt and disregard Avanti has for the taxpayer is astounding.

Poor rail infrastructure is holding back economic growth and putting commuters off rail. This managed decline of our rail infrastructure is having dire consequences for our capacity to tackle congestion on our roads and climate change. Nowhere is this clearer than on the issue of rail electrification between Stockport and Sheffield, which has been long delayed and still appears no closer to completion. While dealing with this shocking fall in standards, passengers have also faced a steep rise in ticket prices. It is Avanti’s job to provide a safe, working railway station for the people of Stockport, and it is the Government’s job to ensure Avanti provides a reliable, good quality service for all. Both are failing.

I continue to raise these issues with the Department for Transport. Sadly, the Government has shown little interest in scrutinising private operators’ stewardship of our stations.

The Department for Transport even authorised a £65 million payout for shareholders of FirstGroup, the parent company of Avanti and TransPennine, before bringing TransPennine into public ownership because of its catastrophic performance.

First are also responsible for running other poorly performing franchises in other regions, Great Western Rail and South Western. Rather than ensuring value for money, the Government is rewarding failure. Avanti is planning several improvements to Stockport station, but progress has been frustratingly slow.

The scheduled refurbishment of Stockport viaduct reminds us that our railways can be something which we can be proud of.

But the issues plaguing Stockport station demonstrate how far the failure of privatisation and franchising has taken us from that ideal. We need to take the railways back into public ownership and restore pride and dignity to the network again.