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So Davy rather as Merseyrail themselves said of the new trains:

The new trains include the capability for them to be converted to dual voltage operation in future. This would allow them to operate beyond the existing Merseyrail network to places like Skelmersdale, Warrington and Wrexham – aspirations of the Liverpool City Region’s Long Term Rail Strategy (LTRS).

The service you describe would need electrification of the Cheshire Lines to Warrington and generate extra services from Liverpool Central but surely without other changes would that not reduce the number of paths for other services to Manchester?

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Well Confused; the problems of the NHS aren't winning out, are they; as the NHS isn't getting the funding or the trained manpower it needs; and neither are related services that are backing up onto the NHS, due to the implementation of austerity. The main problem has been caused by political interventions and interference, by all Parties; rather than leaving it to the professionals, based on a clear mission statement as to what the public require.  There are clearly examples throughout the world of highly successful and efficient public services to learn from, providing the politicians leave behind their partisan dogmas.

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Get real Obs, all governments ever do is throw more and more money at the NHS only to see it disappear into the black hole and to hear ever more moans about "cuts". Every time anybody suggests reforming this money gobbling monster they are accused of trying to "privatise the envy of the world". Of course this is the model the rest of the world would follow if only they could afford it (?)

 

As for Merseyrail/Merseyside Transport, their aspiration is indeed for expansion outwards, but this will not happen while the likes of the RMT insist on keeping the railways in the 1960s.

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They throw money on such things as PFI schemes (still being paid for),  re-arranging the deck chairs (Gov meddling), and failing to come up with a national concensus on what exactly we expect from the NHS and how it should be funded.  The Germans don't seem to have a problem with their NI based scheme, and the French seem to have an efficient rail system. So it can be done.  The fundamental argument, that does have some traction, is how to pay for it. Whilst we can't kid ourselves that this doesn't require a booming economy, such things as road and rail improvements (infrastructure) are essential to supporting that end.  Plus of course, a progressive tax system that ensures HMRC gathers in the funds.   We stuck with either a Party bent on privatisation, which certainly doesn't work in the case of health provision, as most systems are unaffordable to the great unwashed; or inefficiently run and politically interfered with public services.

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A line from Southport via Ormskirk & St Helens would not need to connect with the Cheshire Lines system if it went into Bank Quay. The line from Bank Quay to St Helens Junction is already electrified & there is a track already in situ from there to St Helens although at present out of service.

That should not affect Liverpool /Manchester traffic.

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As I've said before Labour privatised more of the NHS during their 13 years tenure than the Tories ever have. And for a party that has supposedly been hell bent on privatising the NHS for nearly 40 years, the Tories haven't made much progress. Perhaps if the great unwashed, as you call them, had to pay something towards their healthcare at point of use they might think twice about turning up at the GP or A&E for every sniffle or graze they incur. I don't know anything about the German healthcare system but, if it's so good, perhaps we should be copying their model rather than persisting with the present one.

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As I've said. political meddling by all Governments trying to micro-manage an institution that has been allowed to become the International Health Service, rather than National and allowed to drift into none essential areas of treatments, such as IVF and gender reassignment etc.  So the blame lies with all politicians.

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On ‎01‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 1:10 AM, Davy51 said:

A line from Southport via Ormskirk & St Helens would not need to connect with the Cheshire Lines system if it went into Bank Quay. The line from Bank Quay to St Helens Junction is already electrified & there is a track already in situ from there to St Helens although at present out of service.

That should not affect Liverpool /Manchester traffic.

That sounds like the St. Helens Canal and Railway Company's line via Sutton Oak, Rainford and Skelmersdale to Ormskirk and re-instating the Burscough Bridge South Chord to Southport. I do hope I am mistaken because the track concerned is rather more than just "out of service" having been lifted rather a long time ago.

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It was actually talked about reopening the line as far as St Helens from the Junction in Council about 12 months ago. Otherwise the only connection is via a change at Huyton.

There is by the way an already electrified link to Warrington via Earlestown.

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Quote

 

Davy51,

Indeed St Helens have put the St Helens Junction to St Helens Central into their preferred options for the 2018 to 2033 Local Plan. This is curious in part because they only include an East facing chord on the plan making it point towards Manchester rather than Liverpool. This at the same time as transport becomes the competence of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. May be they are setting up a long term grouse that St Helens gets no attention. I can't really see the point really since the Ince Moss connection to the WCML could possibly serve the same purpose at low rates of use.

 

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They already have a link from St Helens to Liverpool via Huyton on the Wigan to Liverpool route. It will be interesting to see ,in the long term, how the City Region benefits its extremities.I would expect the city to be first in the queue for the biggest slice of whatever cake is on offer.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Latest News on Len -

Gerard Coyne - the man challenging Len McCluskey for the leadership of Unite - has been suspended from his job as a regional official with the union.

The move comes as counting is about to get under way in the union's leadership ballot.

Mr Coyne, who is seen as the anti-Jeremy Corbyn candidate, has been suspended as West Midlands regional secretary pending an investigation.

You couldn't make it up could you? :wacko:

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

The Liverpool Eco reported before the selection of the Walton MP was announced that "sources have also told the ECHO that they are unhappy that one of the panel is a Unite representative, which could perhaps favour Mr Carden - who is a long-standing aide to the union’s General Secretary Len McCluskey."

Well Len's man Dan Carden has been selected by the National Executive Committee, defeating two other very strong  candidates. He has the tough job of defending one of the safest seats in the country a mere 27,000 majority.

It must be good to have friends in high places. 

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