Northern Trains set to restore full pre-Covid timetable for High Peak routes

From Sunday, December 11, passengers travelling to and from Buxton, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Whaley Bridge, Furness Vale and New Mills Newtown will be celebrating the return to two trains an hour during peak hours in the morning and evenings on the Manchester line. A new 08.16 service from Buxton, will join trains at 06.43, 07.16, 07.45 and 08.45.

New Mills Central passengers are the biggest winners with the restoration of two trains per hour to Manchester throughout the day and three trains per hour in the morning peak rush, with new services at 07.34 and 07.46 in addition to those at 06.28, 06.55, 08.01, 08.20 and 08.48. Passengers will also gain an additional peak train towards Sheffield.

With services fully restored at New Mills Newtown too, during the morning rush there will be five trains an hour heading into Manchester.

Additional services will be restored on the Glossop-Manchester route, although engineering works will delay those changes until January 3. It means the return of the 08.14 train from Hadfield and the 08.19 from Glossop, plus a return to the half-hourly service throughout the day.

The move follows a public pressure campaign which saw a petition from more than 2,000 High Peak rail users presented in parliament by MP Robert Largan.

Mr Largan said: “I am really pleased that we’ve managed to secure the vital restoration of train services after many months of campaigning. These extra train services will make a big difference. But we also need to make sure the services are reliable. Repeated last minute cancellations have left lots of passengers stranded.

“I will be carefully monitoring the new timetable and continue to fight to reduce commuter misery.”

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