Coronavirus: Government £30m bailout for light rail

by Carter Toni

The federal government has announced £30m to help keep trams and metro trains running for key workers for 12 more days.

Countless pounds in revenue happen to be lost because of the coronavirus lockdown. But Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham stated the cash wasn’t enough.

The funding is split between your Tyne and Put on Metro, Manchester Metrolink, Sheffield Supertram, Midlands Metro and Nottingham Express Transit systems.

Transport Secretary Grant? Shapps stated protecting key transport was “vital”.

The different light rail systems play “a vital role to get NHS staff and emergency services to operate?- and?it is just right that people offer operators support during this period of national crisis,” he stated.

But Andy Burnham stated he was “battling to locate words of support relating to this decision”.

“In the beginning, i was told to invest what we should required to provide essential services, however we discover out we simply have three-quarters from the earnings Metrolink must run at its current reduced services for key workers and essential journeys,” he stated.

“Once this funding leads to early June, we’ll simply be unable to continue running Metrolink.

“The general public ought to be under no illusions that mothballing the biggest light rail network in the united states remains a really real possibility.”

The entire support package, backdated to mid-March, includes:

Manchester Metrolink – £11.6m

Tyne and Put on Metro – £8.6m

Nottingham Express Transit – £3.7m

Midland Metro – £2.1m

Sheffield Supertram – £1.3m

Transport North East md Tobyn Hughes stated maintaining your Tyne and Put on Metro and Shields Ferry running for key workers had created a £10m “hole” in the budget.

“The government’s funding of £8.6m goes a lengthy way towards might is extremely welcome, however it still leaves a funding gap that we have to close,” he stated.

“We don’t however expect to go back to pre-crisis amounts of ridership for a lot of several weeks in the future and will also continue to produce a financial challenge lengthy to return.”

Sheffield Supertram’s md Tim Bilby stated the service would play a vital part to participate in the region’s recovery.

“It will likely be vital the system has got the sources it must aim to restore the service towards pre-pandemic levels when there’ll likely be conditions that will change how people live and travel,” he stated.

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