Additional Northern Sunday services around Manchester

[td97]

Northern are running a handful of following additional Sunday services into Manchester, and these seem to be timetabled until 14/12

• Manchester Piccadilly to Hazel Grove 1tp2h (in the opposite hour to the regular 1tp2h to Buxton).
• Manchester Victoria to Bolton (1tph most of the day, in addition to the regular 1tp2h). Quite rare is that this is a Class 331 using P1 at Bolton.
• Manchester Victoria to Rochdale stopper 1tp2h (in the opposite hour the the regular 1tp2h to Blackburn via Littleborough).

 

[pokemonsuper9]

There's also as required paths for bonus Manchester - Wigan (via Atherton) stopper services in the opposite hour to the current services (so sometimes there's the normal sunday timetable) in recent weeks.
They haven't run for the last few sundays but some look to be being used today.

Seems to use 158s

 

[warwickshire]

Probably all above are for the Christmas Markets and Christmas Shoppers, good to see Northern doing something positive.

Wonder if these will run on the 21st final Sunday before Christmas, as this will be very popular as well.

Maybe its possible, Sundays, in December. Northern might also, strengthen if at all possible, the Stoke on Trent to Manchester Piccadilly services as well, as Cross Country, could well suffer from staff shortages, and various cancellations, as Sunday is out of the working week and try to concide it with the previous Saturdays strike action should it go ahead.

 

[Kite159]

Maybe its possible, Sundays, in December. Northern might also, strengthen if at all possible, the Stoke on Trent to Manchester Piccadilly services as well,

Maybe running the Stoke on Trent stoppers in the first place would be a good start

 

[Starmill]

They're in 'Runs as Required' for:
09/11
16/11
23/11
30/11
07/12
14/12
21/12

So they won't be publicly visible until they're activated. Some ran on the first day, though many were still cancelled. The second two they didn't run.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Nov 2025 ==

Northern might also, strengthen if at all possible, the Stoke on Trent to Manchester Piccadilly services as well

These have been strengthened on Saturdays. As noted correctly by @Kite159 trains do not run on this route on Sundays.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Maybe running the Stoke on Trent stoppers in the first place would be a good start

Indeed. Still rail replacement buses only running every two hours?

 

[Starmill]

Indeed. Still rail replacement buses only running every two hours?

It's five buses per day from Stoke-on-Trent to Stockport. Some way short of every two hours and a change at Stockport is necessary to get to or from Manchester.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

It's five buses per day from Stoke-on-Trent to Stockport. Some way short of every two hours and a change at Stockport is necessary to get to or from Manchester.

Thanks for clarifying. So, still a decidely rubbish Sunday service provision at most of the intermediate stations on the line, then?!

 

[Jamesrob637]

Why did some call at Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme towards Hazel Grove but not back towards Manchester?

 

[chefchenko]

Maybe running the Stoke on Trent stoppers in the first place would be a good start

Yep we have 6 car trains on Saturday for the markets and nothing on Sundays from congleton

 

[Starmill]

Why did some call at Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme towards Hazel Grove but not back towards Manchester?

Because the Sunday Buxton to Manchester Piccadilly services in the base timetable don't all stop at Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme. They do in the other direction.

 

[ReturnToSPT]

Because the Sunday Buxton to Manchester Piccadilly services in the base timetable don't all stop at Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme. They do in the other direction.

Ridiculous state of affairs given the demand from these stations and weekday service levels, beggars belief northern stoppers pass them by on Sundays. Hopefully something that could be sorted when brought into bee network.

 

[Starmill]

Ridiculous state of affairs given the demand from these stations and weekday service levels, beggars belief northern stoppers pass them by on Sundays. Hopefully something that could be sorted when brought into bee network.

It's something which has been looked at many, many times. As the only way to fix it is to run additional trains it will probably not be happening unless someone at TfGM offers significant additional funding to trains which is not currently on the table.

 

[lesthebus]

Is there still not an issue with the Guards and rest day working?

 

[Jamesrob637]

Nice to see the Hazel Grove extras ran again last Sunday, weird calling points notwithstanding.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Nice to see the Hazel Grove extras ran again last Sunday, weird calling points notwithstanding.

And the same last Sunday. Hope they'll run this Sunday.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Dec 2025 ==

And the Hazel Grove extras are running again today!