Navendu Mishra
MP for Stockport · Labour · United Kingdom
“I thank the Secretary of State for that answer. What assessment has he made of the level of online co-ordination during the recent unrest in Belfast, and what discussions has he had with the Police Service of Northern Ireland and other security partners about addressing that issue?”
“Vernon Building Society, which was established in 1924, offers financial services to people in Stockport and across Greater Manchester. It is a true mutual, owned by members, not shareholders. However, as the building society sector grows, there are concerns about meaningful democratic engagement for members.”
“That is the second lowest percentage in England. Alongside this, research from the University of Liverpool suggests that 1.2 million residents in Greater Manchester could be digitally excluded, with around 450,000 residents being non-users of digital technology. Reddish library was the first to have been purpose built in Stockport.”
“To meet the recommended supply of 12 square metres per thousand of the population, Stockport would need another 990 square metres, meaning that there is currently a clear water provision deficit. Not only has Reddish lost its baths; we also have serious issues as Grand Central swimming pool in our town centre.”
“Facilities such as Reddish library play an essential role in supporting that work, but they need a roof that does not leak to do so. I want to challenge the narrative being pushed by the Liberal Democrat council leadership in the local press.”
“The bridge near Harrison’s weir in Reddish Vale is still out of action almost 18 months after it was severely damaged by flooding, with Stockport council producing no timeline for its repair.”
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“The £5 billion investment in the pride in place programme means that Brinnington and Stockport will benefit from a £20 million investment. What does the Minister think of the former Government’s levelling-up slogan, which in reality was a levelling-down agenda for opportunity, ambition and trust?”
“As Bredbury was in Cheshire, that account is the earliest reference to cricket in that county, going back to 1781, which is quite special. There are so many fantastic sports available across the board these days, but cricket is so special. I do not think there is a sport that is more English than cricket. So much more could be done to encourage more young people and people from various backgrounds to play cricket.”
“The ECB should be doing more, and Sky could be doing a lot more. We need to have a genuine debate about including more people from low-income backgrounds in cricket. I want to finish on a more historical point. I have not mentioned this since I was elected to this House about six years ago, but according to data from the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians, the ACS, the earliest known reference to the sport being played in Lancashire has been found in the Manchester Journal , dated Saturday 1 September 1781. It concerned an 11-a-side match played the previous Monday, 27 August, at Brinnington moor—Brinnington is the ward I live in—between a team of printers and one representing the villages of Haughton and Bredbury, who were the winners.”
“That is good, but £2 million will not scratch the surface in the 4,000-plus secondary schools in the UK. It amounts to about £480 per school if shared around. That is not much. There are also reports in the media—hon. Members can look them up if they are interested—that the latest deal between the ECB and Sky for television broadcasting rights is approximately £220 million. That is a lot of money. I was just speaking to one particular member of the House Service before I came into this debate, because I know he enjoys cricket. He said that the TV licence fee that most of us pay should contribute towards enabling people to watch live cricket games. A lot of people are excluded because they cannot afford the £35 to £40 per month to watch Sky Sports. A lot more could be done, and it should not be left to the Government.”
“I love cricket, but as a Labour party member, who many people would call quite left wing, some people say to me that cricket is not really a sport enjoyed on the left. I make the argument that the majority of people who play and watch cricket across the world are from countries in south Asia and in the Caribbean islands. Many countries in Africa also enjoy cricket. We should make sure that cricket is introduced to young people in schools at all levels across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. There is a lot more to be done. I know that the ECB funds many programmes, and that Sport England supports several cricket programmes, but I do not think it is enough. The England and Wales Cricket Board announced a £2 million investment in programmes aimed at engaging black and south Asian communities and state-educated children.”
“Member for Hazel Grove (Lisa Smart), and which also has a rich history. I do not want to repeat the points made by the hon. Member for Cheltenham, but participation in cricket could be a lot better, particularly among young people from lower-income backgrounds, and young people who do not go to private schools or boarding schools. The 2023 report of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket warned of an elitist culture “driven…by the lack of access…in state schools”. They reported that, at the time, 58% of England players had been privately educated. The data will have changed over the last two years but so much more could be done. I wish to declare an interest as a member of the all-party parliamentary group for cricket. I place that on record.”
“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Ms McVey. I congratulate the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Max Wilkinson) on securing this important debate. I agree with him that cricket is a fantastic sport. I also love cricket. Where we disagree is that my drink of choice when I go to watch cricket is cider, and I think that the test format is the supreme format of the game, although I appreciate that people enjoy other formats. I am proud to represent a constituency that has several cricket clubs, including Stockport cricket club, founded in 1855; Heaton Mersey cricket club, founded in 1879; and Heaton Mersey Village cricket club. Before the parliamentary boundary review I also represented Offerton cricket club, which is now represented by my constituency neighbour, the hon.”
“Q9. In Stockport, approximately 20% of families live in social housing. After Stockport Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors blocked the Greater Manchester spatial framework proposal in 2020, the need for social housing is even more critical. Far too many families are living in insecure, overcrowded accommodation and waiting years for a suitable family home. I welcome Labour’s record-breaking £39 billion investment in social and affordable housing, and I want to ensure that communities such as mine in Stockport are prioritised. Can the Prime Minister confirm that these homes will be built and will be affordable? Will he look again at suspending the right to buy?”
“The current minimum wage for someone who is 21 or over is £12.21 per hour; for 18 to 20-year-olds it is £10 an hour; and for 16 to 17-year-olds it is £7.55 an hour. Unless someone is a business traveller or has a generous expense account, I am not sure how many people can pay £386 for a standard class ticket for a peak return from Stockport to Euston.”
“In the latest declared accounts for the year to March 2024, Avanti declared that it paid a dividend of £8.1 million to the parent company, FirstGroup, in 2024, and a dividend of £11 million in 2023. That means that a total of £19.1 million has been paid in shareholder dividends in just the last two years, so the point about value for money is quite serious. I did a little bit of research before coming to this debate. It is just under two hours from Stockport station to Euston if the train runs on time—which is quite rare, to be fair. If travelling from Stockport to Euston during peak hours, an anytime return ticket would cost £386 for an adult, which is ridiculous. The off-peak return is slightly less at £113.”
“Often the lift is broken, so people who are disabled or have mobility issues or health conditions are not able to use the services. The main door, which is frequently broken, has been replaced, but the general state of the station is not good enough. I am grateful to the staff members who work there. The facilities they have for their rest breaks or when they change shifts are simply not good enough. With such a high volume of passengers at Stockport station, we need to do better. I urge Network Rail, which owns the station, and Avanti, which manages it, to do far better. The point has already been made about the private aspect of Avanti. Profits made by Avanti West Coast are turned into dividends for its parent companies, and ultimately their shareholders.”
“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Dr Murrison. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Connor Naismith) on securing this debate. Unfortunately, I think my contribution will add to the long list of grievances I have against Avanti, but of course the west coast main line is used by other operators as well. I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests—in particular, donations from trade unions to my constituency Labour party. My hon. Friend made the point about the state of Crewe station. The state of Stockport station is not much better. For the last reporting period, 3.8 million entries and exits were made at Stockport station, which makes it a major category B station. The infrastructure at the station is simply not good enough.”
“The data I have says 41.6%—the right hon. Lady is depriving Avanti of a crucial 1%. The service is simply not good enough. A lot of us were told that privatisation would mean more competitive pricing for tickets and greater choice, but what choice do I have if I want to go on a fast train from Stockport to Euston? The only choice I have is Avanti. This is a good opportunity to welcome the plan for Great British Rail that was in the Labour party manifesto last year. But we need to make sure that we learn from the mistakes of privatisation and do not repeat the errors that were made.”
“On Friday, when we left the House of Commons after private Members’ Bills, I was on the train to Stockport while my colleague was on a different train to Cheshire that broke down because it overheated. That added two extra hours to her journey home. These are serious issues. The hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Tim Farron) made the point that when it comes to maintenance and reliability, Network Rail has let us down. Of course, 14 years of austerity have had an impact on its budget, but there needs to be some accountability for Network Rail. We all want a big stick when it comes to Avanti, but Network Rail bears some responsibility as well. I could say so much more, but I know that many colleagues want to speak, so I will limit my frustrations to what I have said. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Crewe and Nantwich.”
“I would definitely want the Government to prioritise, with almost 4 million passengers, the Stockport station infrastructure. I want to make a point about freight. Of course passenger services are important but, as my hon. Friend the Member for Crewe and Nantwich pointed out, around 40% of all UK rail freight uses the west coast main line corridor. We need to think about freight services as well, because we need to take heavy goods lorries off our roads. We must ensure that the freight option is attractive and reliable. The service known affectionately as the Thunderbird rescue service involves locomotives that sit at strategic locations on the west coast main line in case a train breaks down and they have to come out to shift it.”
“I will come back to the right hon. Lady in a minute. I will just make the point that reliability is far too poor. If we compare the annual performance for Avanti between April 2024 and March 2025, just 39.9% of Avanti trains were on time, which is a drop of 3.6% compared with the previous year. That is ridiculous. The more we look into the data for Avanti, the worse it gets. We talk a lot about climate change and global warming. If we want people to use public transport, we need to make sure it is reliable and affordable, and that people can access facilities in cases of health or mobility issues. On the specific aspect of Stockport station, perhaps I should join my hon. Friend the Member for Crewe and Nantwich in his campaign to get his local station rebuilt.”
“I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement, and I particularly thank her for the announcement just a few days ago of £2.5 billion for the public transport network in Greater Manchester. That is very welcome news. I have been campaigning for a long time for the extension of Manchester’s Metrolink tram network into my constituency, and I thank the Secretary of State and the Chancellor for funding the extension to Stockport town centre. I have one ask. Reddish South train station in my constituency is one of the quietest railway stations in the UK, with just one service per week. The Friends of Reddish South Station group are very active, and I was with them on Sunday. Will the Secretary of State restore proper passenger services at Reddish South train station?”
“People living only a few miles apart in Greater Manchester are being offered varying numbers of IVF cycles. In my Stockport constituency, only two IVF cycles are offered, whereas in Tameside it is three. NHS Greater Manchester is consulting on plans to reduce the offer across all boroughs in Greater Manchester to only one free cycle. Although I welcome steps to increase equality in this area, the first IVF cycle is often unsuccessful, and this proposal would disproportionately disadvantage those in Stockport and across Greater Manchester who are on lower incomes and cannot afford to pay for further cycles. Will the Leader of the House allow a debate in Government time on equal and fair access to IVF?”
“This weekend will mark the 77th anniversary of the national health service, and I take this opportunity to thank all NHS staff at Stepping Hill hospital in Stockport. I pay tribute to the work of the British Dental Association, because week in, week out, Members from all parts of the House receive correspondence on NHS dentistry and the lack of it. I take this opportunity to invite the Secretary of State to visit Stockport. I know that he comes to Bury often, so when he is up in Greater Manchester, will he join me in Stockport to speak to patients, parents and frontline dental staff about the crisis?”
“I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on securing this debate. I refer to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, in particular my trade union membership. I wonder whether he shares my view that the merger between Vodafone and Three will have real consequences for both pricing for customers and job losses in Britain.”
“May I put on record that I did not use the term “right hon.” in my earlier intervention on the right hon. Gentleman and wish to correct that? Also, the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith) made a very important point about bigger businesses that operate outside the UK perhaps in some cases abusing their position. On a lighter note, may I encourage him to join a trade union? I would be happy to supply him with a membership form.”
“I have worked with the Minister on a number of issues relating to his ministerial role, and he has always been helpful and proactive. As he is representing His Majesty’s Government, does he feel that there is a need to legislate on this issue, and that the code of conduct simply does not go far enough? Also, as my hon. Friend the Member for North Durham (Luke Akehurst) has just said, there might be cases of larger corporations opting in and out as and when it suits them.”
“Will the Leader of the House allow a debate in Government time on enforcing compliance from private social care providers, such as New Hope Care, that fail to pay wages?”
“New Hope Care, a private company owned by Patrick Cheza, was operating in my constituency of Stockport. It failed its staff and exploited vulnerable workers, some of whom were migrant workers who feared speaking out about their mistreatment and neglect, worried that it could impact their visa status. Regardless of their immigration status, people should be compensated for their work. My office has more than 20 cases on this issue. I am told that the company has received payment on its contracts, including from Stockport council and customers, yet it is withholding vital wages from its staff. Many of them have not been paid for four or five months and are experiencing significant financial hardship. It is my understanding that the owners are based abroad.”
“Can the Minister assure me that the high commissioner’s team in Delhi, and that of the deputy high commissioner in Ahmedabad, will have all the support and resources that they need to make sure that the victims and the families are supported?”
“All hon. Members will have the victims in their thoughts and prayers. I thank the firefighters, the first responders and the emergency service workers who helped at the crash. On Saturday, a vigil was held at the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Manchester cathedral. I was one of the speakers, along with my hon. Friends the Members for Manchester Rusholme (Afzal Khan) and for Bolton West (Phil Brickell). We had prayers from a local Hindu priest, an imam, a member of the Sikh community and the dean of the cathedral. The Minister mentioned the British high commissioner in India, Her Excellency Lindy Cameron, who is doing an important job.”
“I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing the debate. Like her, I am a member of the Labour Animal Welfare Society. Will she pay tribute to the work of Animal Free Research UK, which has done a lot of work on this issue, and the campaign on Herbie’s law, which is a proposed framework that would set a deadline of 2035 for phasing out animal experiments in medical research in the UK, and ensure support for scientists making the transition?”
“I thank the Minister for this important statement, but the reality is that 93% of children in Gaza—around 930,000—face the critical risk of famine. He has outlined what the Government have been doing in the past few months and continue to do, but will he tell us what more the British Government could do to ensure that food and medicine reach people who are starving?”
“Members on both sides of the House will have had a large volume of correspondence on this matter, so I thank the Minister for his statement. This fair policy change saves our public services £450 million by ensuring that the wealthiest pensioners do not continue to receive the winter fuel payment. Does he agree?”
“The Department for Transport and the Department of Health and Social Care should work together to ensure that people with Parkinson’s get the support that they need.”
“This Labour Government have made a decision to freeze prescription charges for 2025-26. I really welcome that, but unfortunately, Parkinson’s is not on the list of medical conditions that are exempt from prescription charges. My understanding is that that list was decided in 1968 and has barely changed since. Independent research suggests that scrapping prescription charges in England for Parkinson’s would save the NHS £93 per person per year, and reduce A&E visits by approximately 9%. I call on the Government to scrap prescription charges for people with Parkinson’s. I will end on the blue badge scheme. Sadly, many people who suffer from Parkinson’s also suffer from a postcode lottery, where the local authority decides whether or not they will get a blue badge for their transport. A lot more research needs to be done on that.”
“This point has also been made but, sadly, the Parkinson’s workforce in the NHS has been facing a shortage for over 30 years. It has been neglected and the Government should address that urgently. The Association of British Neurologists found that 1.1 full-time equivalent neurologists per 100,000 head of population were involved in patient care in the UK. If we compare that with France and Germany, the figure is one neurologist per—less than—25,000 head of population. The UK ranks 44th out of 45 European nations for the number of neurologists per head of population. That figure is simply not good enough. The Parkinson’s UK programme, Parkinson’s Connect, has been mentioned, and I urge the Government to roll it out across the NHS in England to make sure that more people with the condition get the support they need.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under you in this debate, Mr Stuart, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Colne Valley (Paul Davies) on securing this important debate. A family member of mine was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about two and a half to three years ago, so although I am not an expert on the issue, I understand how difficult it can be for family members, friends and the community. Unfortunately, my good friend from Yorkshire—my hon. Friend the Member for Colne Valley—has used up all my talking points, so I will keep my speech brief. Many colleagues have pointed out that 153,000 people in the UK have Parkinson’s, but the figure predicted for 2030 will rise to 172,000. That is a significant increase in five short years, so we must do more to support people and medical practitioners in terms of Parkinson’s.”
“The most popular destination from Stockport station is Manchester Piccadilly, with around 1.3 million journeys on that route annually. We hear a lot about climate change, net zero and pledges to tackle global warming. It is really important to invest in our public transport infrastructure to give people the option of a reasonably priced, reliable, safe public transport network. If we want people to leave their cars and personal vehicles at home and use public transport, high-quality services must be available at the station. One of the most serious issues that affects Stockport station is accessibility. Disabled passengers too often face faulty lifts and have no way to access the platforms.”
“Greater Manchester is the fastest-growing economy in the UK. Its £80 billion economy has grown by 50% since 2000, with a 4.5% gross value added in 2022 alone. We need a first-class, high-quality and reliable railway station to continue facilitating that growth. Hundreds of trains, be they passenger or freight trains, pass through Stockport station. I welcome the Government’s recent progress in establishing Great British Railways. The move to take passenger rail services into common ownership will allow for more reliable train services in Stockport and across the country. That was a key Labour manifesto promise, and we will deliver it in government. Stockport is a busy and important station. The latest figures show 3.8 million entries and exits in the past year—just under 4 million.”
“The magnificent Stockport viaduct, one of Stockport’s most iconic landmarks, stands as a towering reminder of our town’s long connection to the railway, dating back to the 19th century. Completed in 1840, it remains one of the largest brick building structures in the country, and is a marvel of Victorian engineering. The railway helped Stockport to become a key part of the north-west’s industrial growth. It supported the growth of the cotton and hatting industries, connected workers to jobs and gave businesses access to markets across the country. I am not sure whether you have been to the Hat Works museum in Stockport, Madam Deputy Speaker, but may I invite you to visit? Even today, the railway continues to shape our local economy, connecting us to Manchester, London and beyond.”
“I welcome the opportunity to debate the condition of Stockport railway station. I thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and Mr Speaker for granting time for the debate. I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests—in particular to the donations from trade unions to the Stockport constituency Labour party. First, I thank all staff at Stockport station, including cleaners, security staff, engineers, ticket office staff, platform safety staff and everyone in the retail outlets. I am a frequent user of Stockport station, and I know that many of my parliamentary colleagues from Greater Manchester prefer to come to that station to get their train into London and will be familiar with its condition. Stockport has a rich and proud railway heritage, and I welcome this debate as we mark 200 years of British railways.”
“Disabled passengers too often face faulty lifts and have no way to access the platforms, and that problem is persistent across my constituency. Sadly, three out of five rail stations in my constituency—Brinnington, Heaton Chapel and Reddish South—do not have step-free access, and I want to see that addressed as soon as possible. It is simply unacceptable that disabled passengers, parents with pushchairs, older people and people who are less mobile than us are excluded from using their local stations with dignity and ease. I want to put on the record my thanks to Nathaniel Yates, a local champion from the Reddish part of Stockport —I think the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Lisa Smart) has met him—who has done a lot of work on step-free access at railway stations, not just in Stockport but across Greater Manchester.”
“I agree entirely. To go back to my previous point, if we want people to use public transport, we need to offer services that match their needs. I lived in Hazel Grove for several years, and I know the stations that the hon. Lady mentions. I agree that Stockport is a large station—it had almost 4 million entries and exits in the last reporting period—but we should not overlook the smaller stations. Unfortunately, over the last few decades, the north and north-west of England has been overlooked when it comes to transport investment. I agree with the hon. Lady, and there is a lot to be said about people commuting from smaller stations to larger stations and getting connections to Manchester airport, Birmingham, Cornwall, London or even Scotland.”
“I hope the Minister is able to address some of the points I have made, but my last point is that Network Rail and Avanti need to do so much more to make sure that Stockport station, and the smaller stations in Stockport, get the investment they have deserved for far too long.”
“Both times, he visited on a sitting day when I was in Westminster, so I invite him to visit again. I would love to take him to Reddish South station, which has one train a week; Stockport station, which has almost 4 million passenger rail entries and exits; and Brinnington and Heaton Chapel stations, which do not have step-free access. I am grateful to many organisations, including the trade unions, which provided briefings for this debate. Avanti and Network Rail also helped me with a briefing. Nick from Avanti, in particular, has been really helpful. I conducted a survey on my Facebook page seeking feedback from residents and passengers on Stockport station. I received several submissions and I am so grateful to each and every one of the respondents for helping me to write this speech.”
“I welcome the share of the city region sustainable transport settlements that Stockport will receive to progress development at Stockport station, but I urge the Minister to go further and faster with funding for modernisation and better connectivity at Stockport. I also ask the Minister to urge Avanti to end its over-reliance on temporary contracts and to fill ticket office vacancies. Sadly, I personally find that the ticket office at Stockport is frequently closed during advertised hours when it should be open. Ticket office closures risk denting revenue by deterring passengers, particularly disabled people, from using the railway. Passenger safety, service and accessibility are vital for a thriving railway. I invite the Minister to visit Stockport again. I understand that he has been twice since he took up his position.”
“The station is not just a local hub; it is a vital part of our critical national infrastructure. It deserves the investment, accessibility and support to match. Network Rail must accelerate investment in lifts, drainage, roofing and accessibility. More must be done to address basic maintenance failures before they become hazardous. I also want Avanti and Network Rail to work at pace to improve the staff facilities, which need to be upgraded. They do a fantastic job—I have already place on record my thanks to them—and they deserve good quality facilities when they take their breaks, and when they start and end their shifts.”
“When that staff member is not in, platform staff, who should be focused on railway safety with trains arriving and departing, have to assist passengers. I recently tabled written parliamentary question 41630 on Passenger Assist. I thank the Minister and the Government for the £10 million to improve the Passenger Assist service. The capability to book a ticket, request assistance and reserve a seat in one single transaction will be widely welcomed by pretty much everyone—I cannot think of anyone who would be opposed to it. British Transport police do a fantastic job, but they do not have a permanent presence at Stockport station and neither do we have permanent security staff. I call on Avanti and Network Rail to work together to resolve that. I want Stockport station to be a place that residents can be proud of.”
“I am also very grateful to Friends of Heaton Chapel Station, who make a valuable and wonderful contribution to the community of Stockport. I have gathered some feedback from members of staff at Stockport station, so I will quickly mention that. Many Members might be surprised to discover that we have an unusually named platform 0 at Stockport station. Sadly, due to staffing shortages platform 0 is often closed, because there are not enough Avanti staff. The Passenger Assist scheme, which is supposed to help those who are less mobile, those with health conditions or those with disabilities to access the railway, is a vital lifeline for many people. Unfortunately, I am told that the staffing for the Passenger Assist scheme is so poor at Stockport station that it is covered by one member of staff on a part-time basis.”
“They are a brilliant community group in the Reddish part of Stockport who have worked tirelessly to improve their local railway station. They have been campaigning for years for proper rail services at Reddish South. Currently, Reddish South station has one train a week. Imagine having a local train station with one train a week—it is just ridiculous. I echo the calls for further investment by Network Rail in better signalling in and around Stockport. Some of the engineering parts and equipment used around Stockport are quite dated. We need to ensure that the signalling infrastructure and equipment is the latest, cutting-edge equipment for safety standards and ease of use. We also need to unlock the future capability and reliability of our railway network, so that would be welcome.”
“I wrote to it but unfortunately got a disappointing response; I will be going back to it. I urge the Minister to visit it with me at some point. The absence of a direct service from Stockport to Manchester airport creates unnecessary inconvenience for many residents, particularly those who rely on public transport for work. Manchester Airports Group is a large employer in my constituency, and many people commute from my constituency to Manchester airport. The indirect route is difficult for those carrying heavy luggage and for those who are less mobile or need assistance. I want to see that service reinstated as soon as possible. I have mentioned this on a number of occasions in the Chamber, but may I pay tribute to the friends of Reddish South station?”
“Many people rely on the station, whether for commuting across the north-west or visiting Birmingham or London, but it has been unfairly left behind. Stockport residents are calling for proper investment to bring the station in line with others across the region. They want safety, accessibility and basic decency. On a different point, I take the opportunity to urge the Minister to back the extension of the Metrolink tram system to Stockport town centre. That investment would be a huge boost for Stockport’s connectivity and local economy, helping people to get to work, school and healthcare appointments more easily and sustainably. We have great connections from Stockport station, but sadly during covid TransPennine Express stopped direct services between Stockport and Manchester airport.”
“While I welcome Network Rail’s investment in the Greek Street bridge near the station—it is investing almost £20 million in that project—it needs to go further and faster in improving the station for all. I highlight that the viaduct, which I mentioned earlier, is an iconic part of Stockport’s skyline, but it is not part of Stockport station. The investment of £20 million in the Greek Street bridge is also welcome, but that is not part of the station. We need ringfenced investment in the station. I was recently out with the Network Rail team—I think it was in February—who have spent almost £1.1 million cleaning up and repairing the viaduct. That is great news for our town and for railway users, but the station needs a lot of love and investment.”
“Another resident said that the station feels “poor, tired and dark” and that she “doesn’t feel safe travelling as a woman alone in the evening or early mornings”. Ticket vending machines are unreliable and the Edgely entrance to Stockport station is in a dire state. The station is well run but understaffed. Residents have reported to me a lack of gate staff, no permanent British Transport police presence, and serious concerns about road safety on the Edgeley entrance side. Tragically, there was recently a collision that left a member of the public injured on that side of the station, which was sad news. I have raised these issues with Avanti. The broken main entrance door was finally replaced, but it should not have taken public shaming to get essential fixes done.”