FOR the thousands of passengers that travel on the Mid Cheshire Line, there is good news from next Monday, December 17.

On arrival at Manchester Piccadilly Station, they will no longer have the inconvenience of paying for the loo and will be relieved the 30p charge has been scrapped.

The toilets at Manchester Piccadilly are managed by Network Rail and bring in about £400,000 of revenue every year.

John Oates, chairman of Mid Cheshire Rail Users Association said: “MCRUA are relieved there is finally some good news for passengers on the Mid Cheshire Line.

“On the busy morning trains into Manchester, where there can be standing room only, this is a welcome Christmas present for our rail users.

“Travellers already have free toilets on the stations at Chester and Stockport. Our next campaign will be to free up the charges on the toilets at Altrincham Interchange.

“With all the current disruption, travelling by train at the moment may not be the best of customer experiences but this is one gesture that will save a few pennies.

“While MCRUA are pressing for free Wi-Fi on our stations we are flushed with delight with these new free-wee facilities at Manchester Piccadilly.”

Raymond Martin, managing director of the British Toilet Association Ltd said: “This is wonderful news for those travelling into Manchester on the Mid Cheshire Line that connects Chester, Northwich, Knutsford, Altrincham and Stockport with Manchester Piccadilly.

“Going to the loo, when your body is telling you to, is a basic human right although we all appreciate there are costs involved in keeping our station toilets clean and secure.

“We have to remember when charges were first implemented for public toilets it was the cost of a penny black stamp so the current charge of 30p is less than half the price of a first-class stamp.

“We hope that any loss of income does not lead to a fall in toilet maintenance.”