Choose One of the Following Paragraphs to Use Or Adapt, Depending on Your Business

Subject line: I OBJECT TO PLANS TO END THE DIRECT RAIL SERVICE BETWEEN [YOUR COMMUNITY’S STATION] AND MANCHESTER PICCADILLY AND MANCHESTER AIRPORT

Dear Mr Hynes –

I understand that you are the Managing Director of Arriva Rail North. Congratulations on this appointment. I have become aware that there are plans to end the direct rail service between [YOUR LOCAL STATION] and Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport. I fear that this change, if it goes ahead, will have a serious impact on my business and also on the local community. I therefore object to it most strongly.

[CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS TO USE OR ADAPT, DEPENDING ON YOUR BUSINESS]

My business depends on UK and international visitors, so excellent direct services to and from Manchester are essential for us. That means a direct link with Manchester Piccadilly to attract conference and convention visitors, especially when HS2 eventually terminates there. It also means a direct link to and from Manchester Airport to make it easy for international visitors to come and stay in [YOUR COMMUNITY]. Other tourist centres in the North West enjoy these links and new ones (like Windermere) are to be added. It is outrageous that Southport and places West of Wigan should see these essential links cut.

My business depends heavily on local residents. We want to see people in well paid jobs settle in [YOUR COMMUNITY] and bring up families. A direct link to the thousands of professional jobs in the south part of Manchester city centre encourages such people to choose [YOUR COMMUNITY] as the place to commute from. Those people buy homes, shop locally, and support all kinds of businesses. Without the Piccadilly link they will either move away or not choose to live here in the first place. That would mean local shops and services would become less viable and lead to more closures on our high streets.

My business is involved with high technology. Strong links with the research and academic facilities at the world-leading Manchester University and MMU are vital to us. A direct rail link to these institutions gives us easy access, and also encourages more businesses like ours to locate in [YOUR COMMUNITY].

My business trades internationally so a direct link to Manchester Airport is vital. We want to be able to get straight to our overseas customers, and we also want to be able to attract people from overseas to visit and invest. A direct rail link to a major international airport is the kind of evidence people like this expect if a business is to be taken seriously.

There has been no consultation about this plan and to go ahead with it would be completely irrational. It goes entirely against all the promises that have been made about how marvellous the new Arriva Northern Rail franchise will be. Given the improvements that so many other communities are seeing, they would put Southport and the places West of Wigan at a grave competitive disadvantage.

I expect you to see that any such plans to cut direct services between [YOUR HOME STATION] and [YOUR DESTINATION STATION IN MANCHESTER] are reversed, and instead to give our line the kind of attention and improvements which all other large communities across the North West are anticipating.

I should be grateful for your response within two weeks.

Yours sincerely - [YOUR NAME]