Call for mayor to have more power over rail

BURNHAM PLANS TO BRING LINES INTO BEE NETWORK BUT EXPERTS SAY HE SHOULD CONTROL FARES, STATIONS AND TIMETABLES TOO

- ROB PARSONS & JOSEPH TIMAN

ANDY Burnham has long said he wants to run Greater Manchester's railways - but it's still not clear how much control he'll have.

The Labour mayor has vowed to bring eight commuter train lines into his London-style public transport network by 2028. He hopes that, by 2030, trains stopping at 96 stations across the city-region will be part of the Bee Network's 'integrated' payment system.

The 'touch-in' and 'touch-out' system - which already exists on trams and will be introduced on buses later this month - caps fares for passengers travelling on different modes of public transport over the course of a day and allows them to pay with contactless cards.

The first phase of 'integrated ticketing' on Greater Manchester's railways, set for December 2026, includes lines from Manchester Piccadilly to Hadfield, Glossop, and Rose Hill Marple. Phase one will also take over the Manchester Victoria to Stalybridge route.

The government is now being urged to give mayors like Mr Burnham more power over timetabling, fares and railway stations too.