Todmorden Curve: Rail link reopens from Manchester to Burnley

Services on the Todmorden Curve are back on track after being dropped in 1972

Direct rail services between Manchester and Burnley have been reinstated.

It follows the reopening of the 500m stretch known as the Todmorden Curve, which has been delayed by a year. The route was initially axed in 1972.

Passengers no longer have to change at Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire on journeys between Burnley and Manchester.

Burnley Council said £10m had been invested in the link, which will halve travel times to about 50 minutes between the two stations.

The service's reinstallation had been the subject of a long campaign, which was supported by Burnley Council, local organisations and charities.

Council leader Mark Townsend said the restored link would benefit the local economy and employment, while making the nearby countryside "even easier to reach for visitors".

Local people welcomed the direct service on social media

The redevelopment of the Todmorden Curve and Burnley's historic Weavers' Triangle received £8.8 million from the government's Regional Growth Fund in 2011.

Celebrations heralding the restored link will be held at Burnley's Manchester Road and Accrington stations on Monday.