Future Rail Projects

[teenagewasteland]

RE: Future Rail Projects
It's likely that if Skem had become part of the Merseyside county in 1974 then the rail link may have come a lot closer to fruition than the stage we're at now.

I know Ribble introduced some bus-rail interchange facilities for Skem using Up-Holland station in the early 1970s? However successful was that?

Considering Skem was built as an over-spill town for Liverpool, it's quite ironic that today there's just ONE direct return bus journey each day on Arriva's 345 between the two locations. Back in the early 1970s there was no end of bus facilities, including a dedicated football bus to Goodison or Anfield on a Saturday afternoon.

I think Merseytravel / MPTE have always had a vested interest concerning public transport interests in Skem, and as has been noted Lancashire County Council have pretty much turned a blind eye.

Whether LCC was responsible or not but the trend in Skem was to urge the population to change their travel habits towards Wigan and, to a lesser extent, Ormskirk and even Southport.

Scouse-bashing anyone????

Mention must be made of the half-hearted attempt to use Kirkby as a bus-rail interchange for Skem people. Ribble's 395/396 were introduced in the late 1970s at the expense of some direct facilities between Skem and Liverpool. The scheme was not a success, and the direct journeys were reintroduced again.