Overcrowding on trains 'poses threat to Yorkshire's economy'

Passenger transport authorities from across Yorkshire have written to Transport Secretary Lord Adonis to express their concerns over delays to a programme to bring much-needed extra capacity to the region's stricken local rail network.

Contracts to purchase 200 new diesel trains have already been suspended by the Department for Transport (DfT), and last summer the number of new carriages promised for Northern Rail services across the region was halved to around 100 – approximately the number needed for Leeds alone.

Many of these "new" carriages will in fact be second-hand units brought in from other parts of the country, and it has now emerged that delays in projects elsewhere mean they are unlikely to arrive before the Government's 2014 deadline to reduce overcrowding.

The news comes as Network Rail today launches its High Court action to stop a crippling four-day strike by signal workers after Easter. The rail company claims it has found "scores of discrepancies" in the strike ballot, though this has been hotly disputed by its organisers, transport union RMT.

The South Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority (SYITA) will meet later today to discuss its concerns about overcrowding, as a report by director of customer experience David Young warns that the body has "little confidence... that the DfT has a credible plan for delivering those additional carriages".

He states: "South Yorkshire's local rail services depend on investment in more rolling stock capacity. The consequence of the situation...present a risk to the economic and transport strategies not just of the Sheffield city Region, but also other northern integrated transport areas."

There is also growing disquiet over the Government's failure to outline a wider plan to overhaul the Northern Rail train fleet, now one of the oldest in the entire country.

In one of a series of letters sent recently by regional transport leaders to Lord Adonis on the issue, SYITA chairman Mick Jameson wrote: "I am concerned by the lack of any clear plan to procure necessary rolling stock. Currently the Northern fleet has an average age of 24/-25 years, and without urgent investment will be way beyond its working life before we have a plan in place, let alone a delivered solution."

His concerns are shared across the region, the chairman of West Yorkshire transport body Metro, Ryk Downes, having written a similar note to Lord Adonis last week.

Overcrowding on Yorkshire's rail network has become a major issue over recent years, rail journeys having increased almost 90 per cent in and out of Leeds and more than 50 per cent in and out of Sheffield between 1995 and 2005.

The manager of watchdog group Passenger Focus, Sue Tibbett, said: "New trains are urgently needed in the north of England.

"Passengers tell us there is severe overcrowding across many areas including Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield. Demand is growing and capacity must be addressed to meet current and future needs."

The DfT would last night only issue a general statement on overcrowding, saying: "We remain committed to delivering 1,300 extra carriages onto the rail network. We have already delivered contracts for more than 40 per cent of these, with 240 new vehicles in operation."