Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Craig has demanded that the region be placed at the front of the queue for the return of the full Sunday railway timetable. The call comes after Northern and the RMT union agreed a deal to run more Sunday trains following years of a reduced timetable.
A long-running dispute between the operator and the union over conductors has seen a third of timetabled Sunday trains cancelled in Greater Manchester over the last two years. According to the mayor's office, around 230 services are effectively pre-cancelled each week.
Urgent meeting planned with Northern
With a busy Christmas period on the horizon, Mayor Craig has welcomed the news of the agreement. She also plans to hold an urgent meeting with Northern, seeking reassurance that key routes to and from Manchester city centre will be prioritised over the coming weeks.
Mayor Craig said: "For years, Greater Manchester has had to put up with a second-rate rail service on Sundays. I’ve been calling for the full timetable to be reinstated, giving us back the genuine seven-day service that our businesses and communities deserve.
"It’s welcome news that the Government, Northern and RMT have finally reached an agreement and Sunday trains will be back on track for Christmas.
"Now, Greater Manchester must be at the front of the queue as more services are reintroduced. I’ll be meeting Northern in the next 24 hours to discuss the rollout plan and seek reassurance that we’re top of the list.
"This couldn’t come at a better time, as millions of people flock to our world-famous Christmas markets and businesses on our high streets make the most of the festive period."
Services could return as early as next week
It is understood that some Sunday rail services could be uplifted as early as next week. The breakthrough has been reached just as Manchester’s world-famous Christmas markets open their shutters at 10 sites across the city centre.
Around 3.4 million additional visitors are expected in Manchester during the Christmas Markets period alone. Transport bosses are encouraging people to get on board beefed-up public transport this Christmas, with free Park & Rides, new night buses and more double trams on busy days being put on by the Bee Network.
