A FURTHER post-Covid restoration of services is planned for September. The Department for Transport asked operators to increase services from 7 September, although some are expected to make changes a week later.
Among them, Avanti West Coast has confirmed it will restore direct trains from London to Shrewsbury, Wrexham, North Wales, Blackpool and Edinburgh from 7 September as it increases daily services from 277 to 285, roughly 90% of its normal timetable. Avanti also says six trains each way will have extended dwells at Crewe to ensure passengers can board or alight without the services incurring station overtime.
Northern has also announced increases targeted at the peak commuter market, although it is suspending services to Rose Hill Marple (see story opposite). Services between Manchester Airport and Crewe will be restored following a period where the trains from Liverpool have been terminating at the airport, and improvements will be made to services between Cumbria and Manchester Airport. With a full reinstatement of services through the Castlefield corridor likely to adversely affect performance, one clue as to future service patterns is the decision to replace hourly Southport – Manchester Oxford Road trains with a Southport – Stalybridge service via Manchester Victoria.
West Midlands Trains was to reintroduce services on the Bedford to Bletchley and Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey branches at peak times from 24 August, with plans to provide a fuller service on the two branches by the end of the year.
A number of operators expect to see more significant and long-term changes from the next major timetable change on 14 December. Tony Miles
