Background
Having a railway station providing a convenient nine minute journey to the centre of Manchester should be an asset to Stretford. Whilst the current congestion charge debate may divide opinion on the charge itself, there is an overwhelming consensus that good public transport links are to be celebrated. Trafford Park station should be adding value to our homes and improving our quality of life. Unfortunately, many of the commuting trains we see and hear are not stopping at Trafford Park. Typically stopping trains are travelling along the line every 30 minutes or so throughout the day. However, only one every two hours is stopping at Trafford Park.
We're told by the railway company that the pressure on the line between Manchester Oxford Road and Piccadilly is the reason. We are simply not convinced. Ironically, the regularity of trains stopping at the station in the rush hour is not too bad (when presumably the pressure is greatest).
Low Profile/Low Demand
However, it needs to be said that the station has a very low profile and we're continually having to explain where the station actually is to people living not too far away. There are no signs to the station from Stretford Mall, no signs even at the junction with Davyhulme Road. An awful lot of people think wrongly that the station is in Trafford Park and not convenient for Stretford. With the closure of Moss Road as a through Road to Metrovicks, the name of the station has ceased to be appropriate.
Feeling Safer for Users
There's no question that the station area could be more inviting. Moss Road is badly lit and we know that some this deters some from using the station. Trafford Council needs to play its part in the uplift.
Direction signs have now been placed for the station. My thanks go in part (perhaps surprisingly) to Matthew Colledge (Con), as it would be churish not to acknowledge that he has been sympathetic to our cause. We disagree on many things but he did nag on our behalf to get these signs up.
Mike Cordingley
I have received a letter from Minister, Christopher Mole in reply to a letter raising the issues on this page.
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