Electric News For Man
The announcement today that George Stephenson's 1830 rail line between Manchester and Liverpool is to be electrified is fantastic news for MAN. This will reduce the journey time between these two great cities and importantly between Merseyside through to MAN, and even more importantly gives MAN direct electric access to the West Coast Main Line via the Newton-Le -Willows link. Fast electric trains will be able to run from Glasgow direct to MAN.
Times have been rough recently but MAN is set to retake its destiny - to be the principal international gateway to the world from the North of England, Scotland and the Midlands. No other airport outside London can match its accessibility. The tin pot airports have had a good ride on the back of the lo-co boom, but we can now see that this is unsustainable and going pear-shaped. MAN has held on to enough of its legacy carriers to re-build and get back on track. The North can only support one main international airport and that is and always will be MAN. Time for the North to get behind its gateway airport and stop the wasteful duplication and attrition of air services. The same is true in other sectors - if we divide, we fall. Liverpool is the main sea port for the North West - let it be that and not build silly little ports at Barton. Leeds has a good financial sector - only an hour from MAN by train. All the northern cities have a strength and a role - let each play to its strengths, supporting eachother, and we will have the best chance of emerging from the South-East's shadow.