PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Hope Valley Line (7 September 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans as operator of last resort to instruct Northern Rail to maintain passenger services in accordance with its franchise agreement on the Manchester Piccadilly to Rose Hill Marple line.

Asked by:
Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat)

Nationally all train operators have been asked to restore a timetable that maximises passenger travel opportunities, whilst maintaining good performance levels in services.

Having been alerted to the issues around the Rose Hill service by the Hon Member for Hazel Grove, I convened a meeting of local MPs and Northern Trains Ltd (NTL).

Like other operators, NTL has been working to an emergency timetable rather than its full service agreement timetable whilst the impacts of COVID-19 continue. Following the meeting outlined above, NTL is reviewing options again to see how it can support the affected communities and understands completely that the rapid return of a resilient timetable on this line is a Government priority.

Answered by:
Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative)
10 September 2020