Battle to save Furness airport train moves to Manchester (From The Westmorland Gazette)
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Battle to save Furness airport train moves to Manchester
4:08pm Friday 29th June 2012 in News
THE battle to save the Barrow to Manchester airport train has been boosted by Manchester campaigners who want to keep the link with Cumbria.
Furness MP John Woodcock joined forces with Manchester Labour by election candidate Lucy Powell to drum up support and collect signatures for his campaign petition to save the direct rail service.
Ms Powell, who will contest the Manchester Central by-election later this year, has family roots in Barrow and stressed the importance of the link to communities at both ends of the line.
She said: “I am delighted to be backing John’s campaign to save the Barrow-to-Manchester train.
“Direct links to Furness and the Lake District are important for Manchester, too, and I will campaign for transport links across the north to be strengthened, not cut.
“This is an issue particularly close to my heart as my grandma, Brea Dowd, is from Barrow and I still have family over there.”
Shadow transport minister Mr Woodcock said: “It is great to join forces with Lucy in the battle to save the Barrow-to-Manchester train. She is a formidable campaigner and having support from the other end of the line gives the cause a real boost.
“The case for keeping the direct link between Manchester and Barrow is clear and I am heartened by the way people are coming forward to make their voices heard.
Mr Woodcock’s petition, which can also be signed online at www.john.woodcock.org has attracted around 1,000 signatures since the campaign’s launch.
