Rail bosses are under pressure to reinstate a ‘full service’ from parts of Stockport to Manchester city centre with angry commuters complaining of overcrowded trains and a timetable that makes juggling work and family commitments a near impossibility. Northern has cut the number of trains between New Mills and Manchester Piccadilly at peak times - a move campaigners say is causing ‘real issues’ for commuters in places such as Marple, Bredbury and Reddish.
Cuts to services on the Buxton line are also affecting those in Disley, Hazel Grove and central Stockport. Northern says it recognises some customers are ‘disappointed’ with the number of services but has prioritised routes with the highest customer demand.
To date, more than 1,200 people have signed a petition demanding the operator - which was taken into public ownership in 2020 after years of failings - ‘restores a full timetable between New Mills and Buxton and Manchester Piccadilly’. Marple resident Claire Vibert, who launched the petition, says the cuts are having a big impact on commuters who are missing work meetings and struggling to get back home to collect children, while finding the remaining services ‘increasingly packed, making the journey unpleasant and less safe’.
