Northern sets date for suspended train service restart

Northern's services across the north-west of England have been severely hit by delays and cancellations

A timetable for the reintroduction of train services on a key line through the Lake District and across the north-west of England has been set.

All Lakes Line services from Oxenholme to Windermere would be fully reinstated from 30 July, Northern said.

A two-week suspension from 4 June had already been extended until 2 July.

Northern's managing director David Brown said the company was "truly sorry" the interim timetable "caused significant disruption" in the region.

But it had enabled the company to "accelerate our driver training, stabilise service levels, improve performance and significantly reduce last-minute cancellations", he said.

Northern had removed 168 trains a day from its timetable across the region.

The company said 75% of these suspended trains would be reintroduced from 30 July.

The remaining 25% would restart in September.

Northern said it planned to reintroduce 75% of services on 30 July and 25% in September

The phased reintroduction would enable further work to improve services across Greater Manchester, the operator said.

The firm has said a lack of trained drivers meant it had "no choice" but to halt services.

Services to be reintroduced on 30 July

• Lakes Line: All services

• Blackpool: All services from Blackpool to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly

• Blackpool: Of 30 removed, 17 services a day between Blackpool South and Colne, via Preston

• Lancashire: Ten daily services, out of 16, between Ormskirk and Preston

• Lancashire: All 24 services on the Lancaster to Morecambe line

• Lancashire: All four services between Preston and Blackburn

• Manchester: Four services a day, of 10 removed, from Kirkby to Manchester Victoria via Wigan

Services to be reintroduced in September

• Blackpool: The remaining 13 services between Blackpool South and Colne, via Preston

• Lancashire: The remaining six services between Ormskirk and Preston

• Lancashire: The six Blackburn to Southport services

• Manchester: The remaining six services from Kirkby to Manchester Victoria via Wigan

• Manchester: The 12 Manchester Victoria to Stalybridge services