rail – Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

31Oct 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Frustration as Conservatives block disabled access for Greenfield Station

An amendment to the forthcoming Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which would have delivered disabled access for Greenfield Station, and others like it, has been voted down in the House of Commons, with not a single Conservative MP supporting it. The only train station in the whole of Oldham Borough, the station has no step-free access to the Huddersfield-bound platform, making it inaccessible for anyone in a wheelchair, with a pram or with mobility issues. Local Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “It’s all very well making the right noises, but when it comes to putting their money where their mouth is, the Conservatives don’t deliver. “The Government keep passing the buck – whether it’s saying it will be part of the line upgrade, or Access for All, or whatever policy this…

Government sitting on their hands over rail strikes

Parliamentary news

The Liberal Democrats have exposed that there have been no meetings between ministers and officials at the RMT Union regarding the planned rail strikes next week. Rail strikes next week will bring chaos to Britain’s commuters, yet this Conservative government has done nothing to stop them going ahead. Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson Sarah Olney asked Transport Minister Wendy Morton if the Transport Secretary would publish the dates and times of meetings between the department and RMT Union officials from 13th May 2022. Today it was revealed that there have been no such meetings. This government is leaving the public in the dark and millions of passengers are facing the misery of forking out for extra petrol - all because ministers are playing political games. The Liberal Democrats have already called…

From rail to refuge, let’s keep victims safe!

Borough news, Campaigns

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group and Leader of the Opposition on Oldham Council, is trying to rally Greater Manchester bosses around a new way to help victims of domestic abuse. The ‘Rail to Refuge’ scheme, is an essential but little-known lifeline. It provides a lifeline to those fleeing domestic violence. Rail to Refuge supports victims of domestic abuse by advising them to seek safety in a refuge well away from their abuser. There have been worries that the scheme is not well publicised and that this is a temporary fix. Rail to Refuge helps by purchasing a rail ticket for the victim to flee a situation of abuse. Unfortunately, the Scheme has been time limited to the Covid-19 lockdown period. Councillor Sykes is calling for…