BUSWAY costings are way off track, claims Leigh's most prominent railway campaigner.

Rail enthusiast and author Dennis Sweeney has criticised busway plans for the old Leigh-Tyldesley-Ellenbrook rail route as "half-cocked".

He says:"The £20m they keep talking about will only pay for the busway from Leigh to Ellenbrook.

"It does no take in the hidden costs of getting into Manchester. They will have to get through the motorway interchange and along Broad Street. That will be a hell of a job and a huge expense.

"And building a new stretch of road goes against Labour's policy.

"A busway would not solve anything. It would add to road chaos with the need for traffic signals at Holden Road in Leigh, Astley Street and Parr Bridge in Tyldesley.

"I don't think this has been properly planned. It seems it is being shoved through at all costs just for the sake of seeing to be doing something.

"It is not a permanent solution to transport problems. And it won't be much if any cheaper than putting in a railway link to Walkden."

And busway critics believe far from being an initial step towards getting Leigh back on track it will lay to rest any such future hopes.

An exhibition bus will on Saturday (10-4) be based on Blossom Street car park, Tyldesley.

Further information from GMPTE's hotline on 0161 242 6777 (8.30-5).

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.