Timetable changes planned for Northern train services in Stockport

A number of train services through Stockport operated by Northern are to see timetable changes from 15th May 2022.

Northern has announced the new schedules, affecting routes across the North of England, as part of its efforts to improve reliability and punctuality for passengers. The new timetable will largely maintain service levels established in December 2021, with some services also seeing increased seat capacity and greater frequency of services.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern said:

“Customers are at the heart of everything we do, and the new timetables are designed to deliver high levels of reliability.

“We’ve made decisions about our timetables based on the levels of resource we have available and prioritising the routes with the highest customer demand, and which support the region’s economic growth.” 

In Stockport, two routes through the borough will be affected by changes to Northern timetables.

Passengers travelling on services through Stockport Station on stopping services through to Sheffield will see additional services put on, improving connections with the High Peak and South Yorkshire.

Services through Marple connecting Manchester Piccadilly and New Mills Central however will see a slight reduction in the number of trains running under the new timetable.

Tricia Williams added:

“We fully understand the role we play in keeping people on the move and I am asking our customers to familiarise themselves with the new timetables, and to check carefully before any journeys to ensure their journeys go as smoothly as possible.” 

The service cut comes despite recent engineering works at Romiley station to extend platforms as part of a wider programme of upgrades to the Hope Valley Line, which connects Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire. Work is due to begin this Spring by Network Rail along stretches of the route to remove bottlenecks between Manchester and Sheffield and allow slow-moving freight trains to be overtaken, increasing future capacity on this busy stretch of track.