The age of the train? It's 30 years old and counting

A report by the Office of Road and Rail has shown that the average of trains in the UK outside London is 22.6 years � the highest figure since records began in 2000.

This includes the �Pacer� trains used extensively in West Yorkshire, and which were first built in the mid-1980s, and the diesel trains used by Virgin Trains East Coast, built in the 1970s.

Cllr Keith Wakefield, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said:

�Local passengers already know and have been telling us that despite paying more for their travel every year there aren�t enough trains to meet demand, and that a significant number of those that are available are long past their sell-by date."

�Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said that Pacer-style trains � already 30 years old � will be scrapped by 2020, and I look forward to seeing him deliver that commitment.

New franchises

�The new Northern franchisee will have to supply at least 120 new-build diesel carriages � not cast-offs or refurbished former Underground trains but new, modern, accessible trains. But they will only replace existing stock, not provide much-needed additional seating which is why, through Rail North and Transport for the North, we have been asking bidders to support the �Northern Powerhouse� proposals and commit to building more carriages than specified by the franchise,� he continued.

�Passengers on TransPennine Express trains � one of the fastest-growing rail markets � also face overcrowding for most of the day, and have seen their trains sent to different operators. They, and I, know that electrification of this key route can�t come soon enough, and I want to see Network Rail and the Department for Transport work together to make it a reality this decade.

�West Yorkshire Combined Authority is committed to creating a transport network that underpins economic growth and creates jobs, and will make the Chancellor�s �Northern Powerhouse� a reality. Passengers need assurances that there will significant improvements in the next few years to deliver this.�