Further public transport projects urgently required in this region:
1) A large single-location comprehensive BUS STATION for Central Manchester. Terminating buses are currently strewn on side-streets all around the city centre. Bus stations such as Shudehill serve only a minority of routes. Bus operations at present around Piccadilly and on areas such as Oldham St. / Lever St. are dangerous to pedestrians. Connection locations are random and baffling to visitors. Manchester has to be one of the worst cities in the UK from a bus transfer point of view. I would dearly love to see a large public transport interchange project for local bus (ALL routes), Metro, coach (National Express etc.) and rail travel made a top priority in Central Manchester.
2) Rail Rolling Stock - Replacement of old units (Pacers etc) urgently required. Capacity enhancement urgently required. Example: the two-carriage Class 158 trains which operate Liverpool - Manchester - Sheffield - Nottingham - Norwich. Demand is controlled by ultra-high tariffs … I was recently quoted GBP184 return Manchester - Norwich on this (two weeks in advance), but GBP55.50 if routing Manchester - Euston / Liverpool St - Norwich. Crazy difference … the London route it had to be. Lots of similar regional routes with demand artificially repressed by tariff management.
3) East-West Rail Line Capacity - Recent enhancements to enable 5 fast services per hour Manchester-Leeds (via Huddersfield) have by necessity squeezed local stopping services using the same track. Local commuter communities deeply unimpressed. Funding not approved for re-opening the existing but mothballed (original) Stanedge Tunnel bores which would significantly increase capacity on this constrained stretch. In the long term, a four track corridor should be the aim (unless "HS3" finds an alternative less curvy route to use).
Other projects mentioned on the thread also important … I'm just not repeating what has already been covered. There is massive potential for putting more equitable transport funding to very constructive use in this region. Our airports need to be at the heart of a northern transport regeneration effort.