NEW train timetables will come into force next month.

And Warrington's services to Manchester have again been hit.

From December 11, Northern ans TransPennine Express will run a new timetable on the Cheshire Lines services to Manchester.

Cllr Steve Parish (Labour, Chapelford and Old Hall) says the interests of Greater Manchester seemed to take priority, and the decades-old pattern of services via Warrington Central is a victim.

Cllr Parish, who worked for British Rail in the 1970s, says, “The government originally wanted to cut the local services so that there would be no through stopping train from Liverpool to Manchester but they would turn round at Warrington Central – meaning no through service from the new Warrington West station to Manchester or from Padgate to Liverpool.

"Council officers made the case against that, and there will still be one through stopping train an hour from Liverpool to Manchester, but the other hourly train will now just run between Liverpool and Warrington Central.

"The “good news” is that, after Northern’s express between Liverpool and Manchester Airport has not run since the pandemic, TransPennine Express return to the route with an hourly service between Liverpool and Cleethorpes via Sheffield – this will call at Warrington Central, Birchwood and also at Irlam and Urmston to make up for the missing local train. Sadly, TPE say that means it will not have time to call at Warrington West, but there would be a connection at Central to or from Manchester, and the peak hour services will call at West.”

He added: “TPE say they have recruited enough drivers to cover the service, but I think we can assume that, like the East Midlands service from Norwich via Sheffield, these trains may not always be punctual. Oddly, because the Sunday trains will not call at Irlam and Urmston, Warrington West will get a better service on Sundays than during the week."

The full timetable for the route is on the Northern website.

 

How it will affect train stations in Warrington?

 

Central: Three an hour to Manchester, four an hour to Liverpool

Birchwood: Two an hour (to Liverpool and Manchester) (same as now, used to be three; better than now, as one is fast)

Warrington West: One Liverpool-Manchester, one Liverpool-Central (currently one, was two, should have been three, all Liverpool-Manchester)

Padgate: One an hour Liverpool-Manchester (same as always)

Sankey for Penketh: One each way, morning and evening – but change needed for Manchester

Glazebrook: Every two hours, as now

All supplemented during morning and evening peak - which is when Castlefield / Oxford Road is busiest, so if they have the extra trains then, why not at other times?