Significant improvements to Southport’s rail services have been welcomed by MP Patrick Hurley, including a breakthrough that should see hourly Sunday trains restored by May 2027.
However the MP says further investment in rolling stock is urgently needed.
Patrick Hurley has been holding regular meetings with Northern over recent months, raising concerns over cancellations, overcrowding and the reliability of trains operating between Southport and Manchester.
Northern’s latest figures show that cancellations on the Southport–Manchester Oxford Road service have fallen to 2.9%, while cancellations on the Southport–Stalybridge service are down to 2%.
That compares with 8.4% and 7.4% respectively during a particularly difficult period over the summer.
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There has also been progress in improving the reliability of the ageing Class 769 trains used on the route.
However, overcrowding remains a significant concern.
Nearly one in three Southport–Stalybridge services and one in four Southport–Oxford Road services are still running with two carriages instead of the planned four.
Northern has also reached an agreement with the RMT that will allow Sunday services to become part of the normal working week.
Northern has confirmed that the full Sunday timetable should be restored by May 2027, with the possibility of some services returning earlier.
Patrick Hurley, MP for Southport and the Northern Parishes, said:
“I’m pleased that we’re now seeing some sustained signs of improvement. I’ve been meeting Northern regularly because the service simply hasn’t been good enough, and I wanted to make sure we were tracking the figures and getting to the bottom of the problems.
“Cancellation rates have improved significantly since the summer, and the agreement on Sunday working is another important step forward. Southport has been without the level of Sunday service it needs for far too long, and restoring an hourly timetable will make a real difference to residents, businesses and our visitor economy.
“There is still more to do. Too many services are running with two carriages instead of four, leaving passengers facing overcrowded trains at the busiest times. I’ll continue pressing Northern to address that and to restore the full Sunday service as soon as reasonably possible.”
Patrick Hurley has also written again to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander urging the Government to explore opportunities to secure additional trains for Northern.
He has asked the Department for Transport to examine whether Class 158 trains being released by Transport for Wales could provide additional capacity while Northern awaits delivery of its new fleet.
Patrick Hurley said:
“One of the biggest problems is that Northern is still operating trains that are decades old. I strongly support Northern’s plans to invest in a new generation of trains, but we can’t wait another five years for things to get better.
“That is why I’ve asked the Transport Secretary to look urgently at whether suitable trains becoming available elsewhere could be brought into Northern’s fleet sooner.
“I’ll continue meeting Northern regularly, publishing the performance figures and making the case for investment. We’ve made progress, but I won’t be satisfied until Southport has the reliable, comfortable, seven-day railway it needs.”
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