A revised schedule will come into operation with changes to Northern-operated trains and Transpennine Express services
Dozens of Lancashire train services that disappeared during the early part of the pandemic are poised to return to the rails with the introduction of new timetables. A revised schedule will come into operation across the network this week – with passengers travelling from, to and through Lancashire set to benefit from the reinstatement of travel options that they last enjoyed before a scaled back service was introduced when Covid struck.
However, travellers are being advised to check whether the timings and destinations of the existing services they use have changed as part of the timetable overhaul, which comes into force on Sunday . They should also expect that the reintroduced services will operate at different times than when many of them last ran prior to March 2020. READ MORE:Be the first to hear about road closures, crashes and rail disruptions as they happen with LancsLive's Traffic & Travel newsletter The changes will see the number of trains running on key Northern-operated routes bolstered – including between Preston and Colne, Blackpool North and Liverpool Lime Street, and Blackburn and Manchester Victoria via Burnley Manchester Road. Four trains per hour will operate in most daytime hours between Preston, Chorley, Bolton, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport – with trains starting out in Cumbria being re-routed to stop at Chorley and Bolton instead of Wigan North Western. Sometime next year, those same trains will be extended to six carriages after infrastructure upgrades in the Cumbria area. There will also be an increase in TransPennine Express services operating directly between Manchester Airport, Preston, Lancaster and Glasgow/Edinburgh following recent reductions. Meanwhile, Adlington and Blackroad will see the return of hourly off-peak services, which have recently run only once every two hours – and have occasionally been replaced by a bus. A late afternoon rail replacement bus between Preston and Ormskirk will also revert to being a train. However, a West Lancashire service will see its journey length curtailed. The Southport to Alderley Edge route – which calls at Burscough Bridge, Parbold and Appley Bridge – will now run only as far as Manchester Oxford Road. As the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed last month, there is a lot riding on the timetable changes for the firms that operate the services, after politicians from across the North backed a proposal by Lancashire County Council’s then cabinet member for highways and transport for local authorities to withdraw their support for the current contractors if next week’s new schedule does not deliver promised improvements in reliability. County Cllr Charlie Edwards made the call at a meeting of Transport for the North’s Rail North Committee, which heard that delays and cancellations on services provided by Northern and TransPennine Express could be costing the wider region’s economy £8m a week. Ahead of the timetable upgrade, his successor, County Cllr Rupert Swarbrick, has reminded rail firms what is expected of them. “The new timetables starting on Sunday will bring back a number of Lancashire’s rail services which were lost in 2020. “I’m pleased to see the restoration of these services which play a vital role in supporting Lancashire’s economy and enabling our residents to go about their day to day lives. “It is, however, vital that the improvements are delivered and that the expectations of our travelling public are met. We will be monitoring very closely how the new timetable works in practice. “On the whole, the new timetable should be positive for passengers in Lancashire. However we will ensure our voice is heard as future investments in Central Manchester’s rail infrastructure offer the opportunity for future service improvements,”County Cllr Swarbrick said The smooth operation of services passing through Manchester is seen as being key to ensuring reliability across the North.NORTHERN Preston to Colne Colne to Preston Liverpool Lime Street to Blackpool North Return of services in the 7am, 10am, 1pm and 4pm hours – departing Liverpool Lime Street at 07.39, 10.39, 13.39 and 16.39Return of services in the 9am,12pm, 3pm and 6pm hours – departing Blackpool North at 09.05, 12.05, 15.05 and 18.04Ormskirk to PrestonPreston to Manchester Airport Return of hourly off-peak services at the two stations.Return of services in the 9am, 2pm and 7pm hours – departing Blackburn at 09.20, 14.20 and 19.20Return of services in the 8am, 1pm and 6pm hours – departing Manchester Victoria at 08.04, 13.04 and 18.04Additional hourly services in both directions between Blackburn and Manchester Victoria, which will combine with existing trains on the route to give a half-hourly service between the two destinations. TRANSPENNINE EXPRESS Preston to Manchester Airport – via Bolton, Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly Preston to Manchester Airport – via Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly Lancaster to Manchester Airport – via Preston, Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly Departing Manchester Airport at 06.03Manchester Airport to Lancaster – via Preston All services remain subject to change or cancellation by the operator and passengers should check before they travel.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Snow falls in Lancashire as police warn of icy conditions - live updatesIT'S SNOWING! Live updates on everything from the weather to traffic! Take care everyone!
Read more »
£75 million revamp planned for Lancashire Police HQ in HuttonArtist's impression of the revamped Lancashire Police HQ main building Pic: McBains Plans for a £75 million revamp of the Lancashire Police headquarters in
Read more »
Lancashire footballer's 1966 World Cup medal sells for £200,000Alan Ball was the youngest member of the England 1966 World Cup winning team
Read more »
TransPennine Express immediately suspends 12 of 26 extra rail services on new timetableTransPennine Express has suspended almost half of the new additional services being introduced as part of bi-annual timetable changes, it has been revealed.
Read more »
Snow and sleet set to hit Lancashire again next weekWhen snow and sleet will next hit Lancashire as cold weather alert issued
Read more »
Tragic sinking that devastated Lancashire families during the First World War“She was a passenger ship, so there would have been many stewards and stewardesses on board from right across Lancashire,' says an historian
Read more »