Major increase in direct trains to York and Manchester welcomed by transport chief
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Wakefield Council’s transport chief has welcomed a decision by a rail operator to run more frequent trains linking Wakefield, Castleford and Normanton with York and Manchester.
TransPennine Express will increase services between York and Manchester Piccadilly to run every hour, seven days a week as part of the December rail timetable change. The move follows the successful introduction of the service, which has proven popular with passengers, in December 2023.
“This move is hugely welcome. We know how much passengers value reliable public transport which can provide us with great connectivity right across the North.
“The popularity of the service since it launched last year shows the level of local demand for decent rail links. It’s good to see TransPennine Express responding so positively to that.
“This move is a real vote of confidence in our district and a boost for passengers and businesses. Coupled with the new Government’s ambitious plans for our railways, we’re optimistic that we’re seeing our rail network getting back on track.”
Cllr Matthew Morley
Cabinet Member for Planning and Highways
Chris Jackson, Managing Director at TransPennine Express, said: “We’re so pleased to be able to increase our services in Wakefield, so the city gains direct links to York and Manchester every hour.
“We have seen great achievements across TPE in the past 12 months in particular, with cancellations reduced by 70% and, thanks to our customers old and new having confidence to travel with us, we have become the second fastest growing train company in the UK.
“TPE is bringing back and adding new services and additional seats across our network as we change our timetable this Sunday and we urge customers to check before they travel in case there are changes to their regular journeys.”