Rochdale MP wins top transport award

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen has won a top national transport award at an award ceremony held at the prestigious Café Royal in London.

Mr Rowen, Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Light Rail, scooped the "Campaigner of the Year" Award for his work on transport and light rail.

The awards were attended by new Transport Minister Paul Clark MP and compered by BBC News anchorman, and long-time light rail aficionado, Nicholas Owen alongside the UK's transport operators, manufacturers and suppliers to celebrate achievement and excellence in what was described as an area of ever-growing economic and political significance.

Paul Rowen said: "I was delighted to be recognised for my work on Light Rail and it's important to be respected amongst industry insiders, especially with the growth of Metrolink here in Greater Manchester. This award is for everyone who believes in the extension of Light Rail in Rochdale, Greater Manchester and the country. I will continue to put Light Rail forward as a positive alternative to the car."

In awarding Mr Rowen with the coveted "Campaigner of the Year" Award, Howard Johnston, Editor-in-Chief of Tramways & Urban Transit, said: "The growth of light rail in the UK requires political heavyweights to make their voice heard at the highest level. As Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Light Rail Group, Paul Rowen has won the respect of all those around him and, as he will soon have a tramway on his doorstep, he can claim first-hand knowledge of all the benefits it can bring as both a congestion-buster and a catalyst for regeneration."