Northern Trains to Keep Sunday Cuts as Operator Seeks Four-Month Extension

Manchester: So, Northern is planning to keep its reduced Sunday train schedule for the next four months. They’ve been getting a lot of heat lately for canceling trains, especially on Sundays. The folks in charge admit their service isn’t up to scratch and say it could take three years to sort things out.

The trouble started when union members turned down a temporary deal for train conductors, which Northern thought would help cut down on cancellations. Now, they’re looking for more cash from the Treasury to make a better pay offer.

In a recent meeting with local leaders, Northern laid out plans to keep the cuts to Sunday services going until May. They claim this will give customers more certainty, but they haven’t finalized anything with the Rail North Committee yet. For now, the reduced Sunday timetable will stick around at least until the end of January.

Back in November, the Rail North Committee, led by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, was pretty upset when Northern announced ambitious targets to improve services. Northern apologized for their poor performance and promised to get cancellations down to just 2 percent, with most trains arriving only a few minutes late.

But Northern’s chief operating officer, Matt Rice, warned that these goals won’t be met until 2027. He mentioned that big timetable changes are needed to make it happen, and Mr. Burnham is not happy about how long passengers have to wait. He’s pushing for Northern to come back to the committee soon to lay out their plans.

During the meeting, Northern was supposed to share more about their vision for a customer-friendly seven-day railway. They’re facing some tough challenges, including union disputes, which they say will take time to resolve.

Last year, they did reach a three-year agreement with train drivers, but the interim offer for conductors was rejected, leading to more disruptions.

In December, Northern canceled a bunch of Sunday services after promising a reduced timetable for the holidays. They’ve confirmed that this reduced schedule will continue this month.

A spokesperson for Northern said they introduced the temporary Sunday timetable to cut down on last-minute cancellations and give passengers more certainty. They’re working on plans for after January 2025 and are committed to improving their performance, especially in the North West.

The issues discussed in the private meeting will be on the agenda when the Rail North Committee meets publicly again on February 25.