The chairman of the Cheshire and Warrington local transport body told members at Friday’s meeting a suggestion has been put forward by Network Rail to stop freight trains travelling through Manchester Piccadilly during the daytime.
He said such a policy would force freight from Crewe, Warrington, Liverpool and Trafford Park on to the road – adding to the already-congested M6 and M56.
He said: “This is serious – I think it’s more serious than people realise.
“I think to us the potential impact that would have on our economy going forward is colossal. If suddenly we were to lose freight during the daylight hours it certainly would change completely the way that our economy works.
“The impact of closing freight off during daylight hours is unbelievable, and particularly for road transport it would be catastrophic.
“We’re constantly told by the [city region] mayors of their new green policies which are fantastic, but you can’t have your cake and eat it. You’ll either have clean air and trains, or you are going to have lorries on the road and we’re not going to have clean air.”
Mr Waterman’s warning came just a week after the new figures saw Cheshire and Warrington retain its status as the second-fastest growing economy in the UK – and he fears a policy to take freight off the railway in the daytime would ‘choke’ that growth.
The local transport body is now set to write to Transport for the North to challenge the idea.
Mr Waterman added: “I’ve been told it’s only a suggestion, but if we don’t challenge suggestions they become rules.
“It is going to come down to passengers or freight, and it’s a balancing act. You can’t tip it one way, because the cost of putting more lorries on the M6 or the M56 I don’t think is acceptable to any local transport body.
“I don’t want to see any more lorries on our roads than what we have got. I think that would be a travesty.”
