I HAVE been interested to read in Rail magazine that Leigh is back on track to have its rail link reinstated.
Apparently the Rail Passengers' Council committee have proposed a series of enhancements across the rail network.
One of these, in the North West area is station re-openings. Leigh, population 42,000 (requiring reinstatement of four miles of track on the former Leigh-Tyldesley route, a half mile new construction to join the Wigan-Manchester main line to give rail access to Walkden-Manchester and-or to Manchester via Metrolink light rail-street running).
Why am I interested in this? In my younger days I was a fairly frequent user of the line from Leigh. Over the years, as I live in between Leigh and Warrington, Leigh has become less attractive both as a shopping centre and for travel. If you look at both Warrington and Leigh as two ex-industrial towns, Warrington is dynamic, high tech and go-getting and improving all the time. Leigh, well I leave you to judge.
What Leigh needs to revitalise itself is a shot in the arm with new infrastructure links, not just locally but nationally to encourage investment and jobs and bring Leigh back to what it used to be, a great little town that is prepared to grow. If the local and political will is there it will happen.
E Davies,
Derwent Close,
Culcheth.
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