Northern timetable changes: New Leeds to Manchester Victoria service added as Ilkley to Bradford route reduced

The train operator will make the switch on Sunday, May 21. While the overwhelming majority of services remain ‘as is’ – there are a small number of changes to specific lines.

In the North West, to provide additional capacity through the Calder Valley during the on-going TransPennine Route Upgrade engineering work, Northern will introduce a new hourly service between Leeds and Chester via Manchester Victoria on Sundays.

In Yorkshire, Northern will operate a new weekday return service between Sheffield and Cleethorpes. Their services from Ilkley and Skipton to Bradford Forster Square will continue to run twice an hour during the peak, but will reduce to one train per hour during the off-peak to reflect lower customer demand.

And while Northern’s Sheffield to Gainsborough Lea Road service remains unchanged, there will no longer be mid-week services from Sheffield to Gainsborough Central during peak times.

Meanwhile the line connecting Huddersfield to Wakefield and Castleford will be covered by a bus service with three peak services operating Monday to Friday.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer of Northern, said: “The new timetable coming into effect next month is part of a national timetable change process that takes place twice a year for all train operators in England. The train network is a complex system of inter-dependent parts and it is vital that changes are co-ordinated in this way.

“For the vast majority of our customers there is no change, but some will notice a slight re-timing of service – as such, I would advise all customers to check the timetable for any travel plans after 21 May.

“There are a very small number of services that have been removed from the timetable which reflects customer demand and we have already communicated that information to those communities.”

Elsewhere the ‘Dales Rail’ service from Blackpool North to Carlisle will not operate this summer, while Northern will look to introduce an additional service between Middlesbrough and Newcastle, upon completion of new platform infrastructure at Hartlepool station.

The early morning service between Middlesbrough and Whitby has also been removed to enable Northern to add capacity on the busier 10.19 service between the two towns.